It was one of the World Cup’s most talked about transfers. Where Aleksandr Golovin would land, nobody knew. However, it was football’s worst-kept secret that he was leaving CSKA Moscow, a club he joined aged 16.
The 22-year-old was one of Europe’s most talked about players for the past few seasons. Expectations were high that Golovin would move to one of the continent’s elite clubs. Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Paris St-Germain, Arsenal; all touted as destinations but none bid for the midfielder.
Instead, Ligue Un club AS Monaco acted swiftly and lodged a $35m bid with his Russian club. In an inflated transfer market, it’s an astonishingly low fee for a mercurial talent.
The French club barely contained their joy with the deal. Monaco vice president and chief executive Vadim Vasilyev was clear this isn’t a long-term deal.
“Aleksandr has chosen the sporting project of Monaco,” – he said, “which will offer him the best conditions to continue his progress.”
Monaco’s reputation for developing some of the world’s most talented players is almost unrivaled. Hence, a well-honed system provided one-quarter of France’s World Cup-winning squad.
Monaco offers an almost cast-iron guarantee of Champions League football each year. Golovin is well-placed to follow the path trodden by Kylian Mbappe, James Rodriguez, and before them, Theirry Henry.
Finally, Golovin, a shy individual, gave a typically understated comment on the move. “This is a new adventure for me,” he said after signing. An adventure which marks the continuation of his journey to the top of world football.
