MOSCOW: Zenit St Petersburg say they have signed Russia wing-back Yuri Zhirkov, with the ex-Chelsea player set to join in the summer.

Zenit say Zhirkov has signed a two-year contract to move in July as a free agent, but could arrive earlier if his current club Dynamo Moscow agree to compensation.

Zhirkov continues an exodus out of Dynamo, who are struggling financially after UEFA excluded them from European competition this season for breaking financial fair-play rules.

Zhirkov has 67 caps for Russia ahead of their home World Cup in 2018 but has struggled to establish himself under new coach Leonid Slutsky, having played just two of six games since Slutsky took charge in August.