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Yura Movsisyan won't be returning to Major League Soccer — at least not anytime in the immediate future.

The former Real Salt Lake striker will be staying at Spartak Moscow, this according to his agent, Patrick McCabe. The 27-year-old forward in his third season at Spartak in the Russian Premier League recently voiced interest in a return to MLS through McCabe in mid-May. But McCabe told the Tribune on Thursday that Dmitry Alenichev, hired as Spartak's coach on June 10, views Movsisyan as an integral part of the club going forward. Movsisyan's contract with Spartak Moscow runs through the end of 2017.

"The new coach says [Movsisyan] is essential to his plans," McCabe said.

Movsisyan most recently was stateside the second week of June, visiting his family in Pasadena, Calif., which led to rumors and reports that the Armenian striker was in the U.S. to pass a medical — reports which McCabe vehemently denied soon after. McCabe told the Tribune on May 16 that he didn't envision Movsisyan staying in Russia much longer, however he followed up on June 11 that the hiring of Alenichev was "still an important piece of any equation."

"I have to plan for a bunch of eventualities here, and one of them is that [a return to MLS] doesn't work out," McCabe said on May 16. "I think if you asked [Yura], I think that would be his first choice, but we've had approaches in the past from other MLS teams, so we know that it may or may not happen."

Movsisyan spent two and a half years at RSL, scoring 15 goals in 53 appearances, before moving overseas in 2010. He moved to Danish club Randers after his breakout season helped RSL win the 2009 MLS Cup title. He then moved to the Russian Premier League in 2011 to play with FC Krasnodar.

Twenty-three goals and 50 appearances later, Spartak Moscow came calling and completed a reported $9.7 million transfer for Movsisyan in December 2012.

Per MLS roster regulation, RSL still holds Movsisyan's MLS rights should he choose to return to the league. A club retains the right to a player indefinitely following the expiration of a contract, provided the club extends a contract offer, which RSL did before Movsisyan went to Denmark in 2010.

McCabe said Thursday that the option of returning to MLS one day isn't off the table.

"Yura remains hopeful that he can return to MLS should the situation change," McCabe said.

— Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani