If reports are to be believed, Arsenal are now weighing up a move for Russian international Aleksandr Golovin after they announced the much-anticipated signing of Alexandre Lacazette. The North London side has been linked with the player for quite some time now with no proper talks held whatsoever. However, CSKA Moscow general director Roman Babaev has now confirmed that the Gunners haven’t deviated their attention from the 21-year-old.
Arsenal ‘s dire need of a quality midfielder is not any hidden fact, which had made it easier for the media to link him with the club earlier too. Arsene Wenger saw his side finish out of the top four for the first time in his reign of over two decades, last season. The North London side took their ceremonial midseason crumble way too long this time, and before they could recover the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool had just tipped them.
Europa League hasn’t been a new thing for Wenger, who had led to the second-tier European Championship final in 2000 before losing to Galatasaray. And he has full knowledge of the immense squad depth that this gruelling tournament demands. Arsenal are looking to offload some of the players this summer to clear up their hefty wage structure, and central midfielder Jack Wilshere is a reported name.
Golovin could be a decent replacement for the English midfielder, given his beautiful technique and terrific vision on the ball. He was a regular for the Russian team in the recently concluded Confederations Cup and has shown flashes of his abilities although he couldn’t help Russia past the group stages.
Though he is far from a finished product, Golovin can already do wonders from the midfield. He is immensely versatile through the centre, both in the offence as well as defence; he is also seen playing as the left-back as and when needed. An attacking midfield by nature, his defensive attributes stand out as well and that blended with his eye-soothing dribbling skills make him a thrilling prospect.
Pretty much similar to that of Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield star Marco Verratti, Wenger has identified his talent and reportedly already contacted agent Sandor Varga to keep an eye on him.
Speaking to media, Varga said, “Arsene Wenger called me and asked me to watch Golovin again. He was going to come but his scout in Russia sent him 6 to 8 positive reports and so he asked me to watch him instead.”
Arsenal are expected to get in more players surely and Golovin’s affordable price tag of £10 million shouldn’t be a hurdle in going forward.
