According to agent Vasily Golyan, CSKA was one of the clubs considering Rostov's 25-year-old Russian defender Ilya Vakhania, having shown interest last summer and in the winter, although active negotiations did not take place. Golyan clarified in an interview with Sports.ru that the discussions about Vakhania were a parallel process alongside the transfer of Danila Kozlov, as Krasnodar was involved in both deals. He confirmed that at a certain point, arguments from one negotiation were used to help achieve a result in the other. Vakhania's contract with Rostov is valid until June 2028 and his current market value is €3.00m, according to Transfermarkt. The defender has 9 caps and 1 goal for Russia, and in the 2025/26 Premier Liga season he has recorded 1 goal and 1 assist in 22 appearances. Krasnodar has also been linked with a move for the player.