Following his move to Lokomotiv, Bakaev's current-season form is level with last season (Season 29→27), while his Rating eased 24→21. His peak season for form remains 2024/25 (Season 29).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	A	Match	RTG	Season
2026/27	Lokomotiv	2	1	0	6.95	—	—
2025/26	Lokomotiv · 3rd	25	3	5	6.86	21	27
2024/25	KhimkiLoan · 12th	25	4	0	6.93	24	29
2023/24	Al Wahda FCLoan	14	1	2	6.96	—	—
2023/24	Zenit · 1st	8	0	1	7.07	22	2
2022/23	Zenit · 1st	17	1	0	6.62	26	5

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 8 earlier seasons and 1 youth-team spell in the full career.

Russia · international

Side	Apps	G
Russia	16	2
Russia U21	9	3

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Project playerCreative Attacking midfielder

Z. Bakaev is a 30-year-old attacking midfielder at Lokomotiv, enjoying a standout season — 3 goals and 5 assists in 25 appearances, a Season grade of 27, top 43% of Premier League attacking midfielders. On long-term scout potential he's rated 20.7, ranking 205th of 274 in the Premier League. An experienced operator, he has been a regular starter (66.5% of available minutes). He brings 0.45 goal contributions per 90 (0.17 goals, 0.28 assists). Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Bakaev.

Judged on this season alone, Bakaev graded 27 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 17th of 40 of the 40 attacking midfielders in the Premier League, on 3 goals and 5 assists in 25 appearances (0.446 involvements per 90).

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 29 → 27). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2024/25.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 21, 37th of 40 of the 40 attacking midfielders in the Premier League. At 30 Bakaev is into the veteran stage, where the age curve weighs on the projection, and a market index of 1.9 reflects that trajectory.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

A career still climbing — Bakaev is at his peak right now, and the curve hasn't flattened.

Peak: 2024/25Trending upBreakout: 2024/254 clubs

Current potential37th of 40 attacking midfielders · Premier League Current season17th of 40 attacking midfielders · Premier League17th-best attacking midfielder in the Premier League205th in the Premier League · potential37th-highest potential attacking midfielder in the Premier League

20.7

Ratingi

37th of 40 attacking midfielders

27.1

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

66.5%

Minutes

a regular starter

0.45

Goal contrib / 90

productive for the role

Output in context · Lokomotiv finished 3rd of 16 · an upper-table side

Goals

Assists

G+A

0.12

Goals / app

3 goals in 25 appearances (0.12 per game) — light end product the role wants to see climb. He also laid on 5 assists, so the all-round involvement reads 8 goal contributions (0.32 per appearance).

Strengths

Availability. On the pitch for 66.5% of available minutes — a dependable presence in the XI.
Final-third output. 0.45 goal contributions per 90 (0.17 goals, 0.28 assists) — productive for the role.

Watch points

Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 20.7, Bakaev carries the 37th-highest potential of the attacking midfielders in the Premier League of 40. In the final third he profiles as a productive contributor (0.45 goal contributions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1× now → 0.7× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %66.5%

Available fixtures27 of 30

Goals / 900.167

Assists / 900.278

Goal contribution / 900.446

Defensive actions / 902.172

Player flow

Goal involvements8

Shot conversion %27.3

Shot accuracy %47.8

Pass accuracy %71

Dribble success %36.2

Cards / 900.501

Foul involvement / 903.899

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~4), then tapers with age. At 30, Bakaev sits on 1.9, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Bakaev's projected Rating — 20.7 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among attacking midfielders in the Premier League with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals3

Shots on target11

Shots23

Passing

Assists5

Pass accuracy71%

Possession

Successful dribbles21

Dribble success36.2%

Fouls won35

Defending

Tackles28

Interceptions10

Blocks1

Fouls committed35

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards9

Red cards0

Transfer history

Lokomotiv2025/26 – nowFree Transfer

Zenit(back from loan)2025/26 – 2025/26

Khimki(on loan)2024/25 – 2025/26

Zenit(back from loan)2024/25 – 2024/25

Al Wahda FC(on loan)2023/24 – 2024/25

Zenit2022/23 – 2023/24Free

Spartak Moscow(back from loan)2019/20 – 2022/23

Arsenal Tula(on loan)2018/19 – 2019/20

Spartak Moscowuntil 2018/19

About Z. Bakaev

Zelimkhan Bakaev is a 29-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Lokomotiv, born on July 1, 1996 in Nazran, standing 180 cm tall. He is from Russia. Lokomotiv currently sit 3rd of 16 in the Premier League.

This season

In the current season, Z. Bakaev has made 25 appearances with 3 goals and 5 assists across 1,616 minutes, averaging a 6.83 match rating over his last 10 rated games, with 9 yellow cards. Though primarily a attacking midfielder, he has also lined up in attack this season.

When Z. Bakaev plays, Lokomotiv's record this season is 10W-11D-4L — and his match ratings average 7.03 at home against 6.67 on the road.

Recent matches

May 10, 2026: 1-0 win at home vs Baltika (83 minutes, 7.3 rating)
May 1, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Dynamo (45 minutes, 6.9 rating)
April 25, 2026: 0-2 loss away at Krylia Sovetov (45 minutes, 6.6 rating)
April 22, 2026: 0-0 draw at home vs Zenit (74 minutes, 6.9 rating)
April 18, 2026: 1-0 win away at FC Orenburg (64 minutes, 6.3 rating)
April 12, 2026: 1-1 draw at home vs Dinamo Makhachkala (71 minutes, 6.7 rating)
April 5, 2026: 1-2 loss away at Spartak Moscow (68 minutes, 6.2 rating)
March 22, 2026: 5-1 win at home vs Akron (62 minutes, 1 goal, 8 rating)
March 15, 2026: 0-3 loss away at Rubin (45 minutes, 6.9 rating)
March 9, 2026: 2-2 draw at home vs Akhmat (90 minutes, 6.5 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates Z. Bakaev at 20.7 with a Season form score of 27.1, ranking 205th of 274 attacking midfielders in the Premier League. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Availability: Z. Bakaev has missed 3 matches this season (2 through injury, 1 through suspension).

His honours include 11 career titles — among them the Super Cup and the League Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 13 recorded seasons, Z. Bakaev has totalled 254 club appearances with 30 goals and 26 assists for 8 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2016/17, with 31 appearances for Spartak Moscow 2.

Z. Bakaev's career has also included time at Zenit, Khimki, Al Wahda FC, Spartak Moscow and Arsenal Tula.

On the international stage, Z. Bakaev has represented Russia and Russia U21 — 25 caps and 5 goals in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Lokomotiv finished 3rd of 16 · an upper-table side

Strengths

Watch points