MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. Russian football star Artyom Dzyuba, who signed with Lokomotiv Moscow football club last year, is leaving the team, Lokomotiv Moscow FC’s press office said in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, "35-year-old striker Artem Dzyuba and FC Lokomotiv have ceased cooperation due to the expiration of the contract."

"The Lokomotiv football club thanks Dzyuba for his great and important contribution to the development of the club, for his goals, assists and constant desire to win, as well as for the great mood and positive atmosphere within the team. Thank you, Artem!" the statement added.

Playing for Lokomotiv Moscow FC, Dzyuba scored 12 goals in 32 appearances for the club.

Reached later in the day by a TASS correspondent, Dzyuba's agent Leonid Goldman said that the player was not planning on retiring following his exit from Lokomotiv FC.

"Artyom has no plans of wrapping up his career after leaving Lokomotiv, he will definitely continue playing," Goldman told TASS. "Negotiations are already underway, I hope that the announcements [on Dzyuba’s next move] will be made as soon as possible."

Dzyuba, 35, signed a contract with Lokomotiv Moscow FC in early February 2023. Before that he played five matches for Turkey’s Adana Demirspor football club and scored one goal. Prior to that, he played for Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg FC, leaving the club in May 2022.

Dzyuba, 34, the former captain of the Russian national football team, joined Zenit St. Petersburg FC in 2015 and scored 108 goals in 249 matches, helping the club win four national championships and four titles of the Super Cup of Russia. He parted ways with the club earlier this year.

He is also the best forward playing in the Russian national football tournaments having booked 161 goals in 422 matches.

During his stint with the national squad, Dzyuba scored 30 goals over 50 appearances, tied for most in the history of the national team with Alexander Kerzhakov (30 goals in 90 matches played) and four more than 2nd place Vladimir Beschastnykh (26 goals in 71 matches played).

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosted by Russia in 11 cities across the country, Dzyuba led Russia to the quarterfinals stage of the global football championship, where Russia lost to Croatia in a penalty shootout (3-4) following a tense match, which ended with a 2-2 draw in the main time. Dzyuba scored three goals and had two assists at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.