The French organization Team Vitality has reached an agreement with the Fnatic club for the buyout of Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev. The player was also of interest to the American organization NRG.

Team Vitality and NRG

Two organizations — Team Vitality and NRG — were seriously contending for Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev after it became known that he was benched and looking for a new club. According to the Sheep Esports portal, the player favored the French club's project over the prospect of moving to America with NRG.

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Competition between Team Vitality and Fnatic

Fnatic was reluctant until the last moment to agree to the transfer of Derke to Team Vitality. The most likely reason for this was competition, as another strong team would emerge in EMEA, potentially complicating Fnatic's qualification for international tournaments. Rumors suggest that the organization consistently rejected Team Vitality's offers, despite increasing buyout proposals. Fnatic's Senior Team Director, Colin "CoJo" Johnson, commented on the situation as follows:

To clarify: we don’t stop transfers of players due to competitive reasons, nor do we have diff asks depending on the buyer - we just expect the buy-out to be met which most interested teams have been able to do. Can give more insight on all this when the offseason is done

 

A New Challenge for Fnatic

If the transfer of Nikita "Derke" Sirmitev to Team Vitality is completed successfully, it will pose a serious challenge for Fnatic. Losing one of its key players and the emergence of another strong competitor in the EMEA region could shift the balance of power on the Valorant scene. For Team Vitality, this is undoubtedly a step forward that may enhance their chances in international competitions in the next season.

SOURCE: Sheep Esports