The Greek club AEK is considering a transfer for Krasnodar's 26-year-old Russian defensive midfielder Aleksandr Chernikov, who is one of two options, with the other being CSKA midfielder Dmitri Barinov. A source familiar with the situation informed that coach Marco Nikolic has approved both potential transfers and that the club will now choose one of them. The source also revealed that AEK is prepared to pay €7 million for Chernikov. According to Transfermarkt, Chernikov's contract with Krasnodar runs until the summer of 2029, and his current market value is €8.00m. Chernikov has 5 caps and 1 goal for Russia. In the 2025/2026 Premier Liga season, he made 23 appearances, scoring 1 goal and providing 2 assists.