Witsel wants Zenit exit

Belgium international Axel Witsel wants to leave Zenit at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

The midfielder was heavily linked with a move away from the club ahead of this season, with AC Milan, Juventus and Tottenham believed to be among his admirers, but a transfer never materialised.

The 27-year-old is confident he will be on the move after Euro 2016, though, and expects Zenit to allow him to leave for a relatively low fee.

“I still have a contract for one more year come June and the club know how I feel. I would like to play in a bigger league,” Witsel told La Derniere Heure.

“I cannot say that I will 100 per cent leave, but we have not held talks over a new deal and my intention is to leave this summer. I want to focus on finishing the season on a high, then there’s the Euros and then we will see what happens.

“I spoke to a number of clubs last summer, but it was not about money for Zenit. They wanted to keep me because of the Champions League and there was no time to sign a replacement.

“When a player has just one year left on his contract, a club cannot demand too much money. I don’t think Zenit will be asking €40million for me.

“We will see. I have never worried about a transfer and won’t do so now.”