Arsene Wenger told his pre-match press conference how impressed he is with Aleksandr Golovin, amid plenty of rumours of Arsenal interest in the player.
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The media have linked Golovin with a move to Arsenal a lot in the last year or so. The player himself even spoke about their interest just a few days ago. Now Wenger has admitted he likes what he’s seeing from the player.
“His performances are very good,” Wenger said. “He’s a regular player in the Russian national team, so he’s a strong player.
“CSKA have two players in the midfield who play in the national team, Dzagoev and Golovin, so they have the best midfield in the country.”
Not only that, but Golovin’s agent also confirmed Arsenal’s interest in the player last November.
If this tie is a trial of sorts, the 21-year-old is certainly making the most of it. His free-kick gave CSKA a vital away goal last week, which could yet still have a big impact on the tie. It was his second goal in two games in the Europa League knockout stages.
He also grabbed an assist against Manchester United earlier in the campaign. Clearly he isn’t afraid of English opposition.
Next, Aleksandr scout report – who is he, strengths, weaknesses and how he’d fit at Arsenal
Who is Aleksandr Golovin
Golovin came through the youth ranks of CSKA Moscow and joined the senior squad in the summer of 2015.
The 21-year-old has made 105 appearances for the Moscow club in his two-and-a-half senior seasons, establishing himself as a first choice midfielder.
During the 2016/17 season, Golovin made 37 appearances for CSKA, scoring three goals and making four assists.
He has 36 appearances this season already with six goals and four assists.
Next, strengths, weaknesses and how he’d fit at Arsenal
Strengths
The young Russian is a very versatile player and has been used in multiple positions.
His most natural position is in central midfield, whether in the role of attacking or defensive midfielder.
He is adapted to play on the flanks as well. With great pace and positional awareness, he is a great asset for CSKA.
Golovin’s tactical awareness and defensive contributions make him a very useful player in the middle of the pitch.
Defensively, he makes an average of three tackles per game, combined with 1.6 interceptions and often breaks opposition attacks up before they get close to the penalty box.
Going forward, he is very good at holding the ball and often makes runs with it to open up space for supporting players.
He is very good at through balls to create chances.
Next, weaknesses and how he’d fit at Arsenal
Weaknesses
Although not the tallest player on the pitch, at 5″9′ he should have better aerial ability and it’s something he will need to work on.
His passing success rate was just below 80% and if he were to join a passing team like Arsenal, that’s something he will need to improve. This season in the Europa League it is up to 82% but there is still room for improvement.
Next, how he’d fit at Arsenal
What if he joins Arsenal
Golovin is one of the top talents in Russia and has a very bright future ahead of him.
His versatility and mature performances have given CSKA an extra edge to their game and the youngster seems to make everyone around him play better.
He’s still an unrefined diamond and will need to do plenty of work on the training pitch. He also needs a manager to define his position rather than shuffling him around the pitch.
Golovin is quite different to any of the current Arsenal midfielders as he tends to hold the ball for a long time and make forward runs a lot. His approach would likely change when/if he does join Arsenal.
Golovin was priced at €3m last summer but CSKA were asking at least €10m for the youngster. Transfermarkt now rate him at €9m. What his CSKA price is now is unclear.
A leap from the Russian to the English league certainly wouldn’t be an easy one, and the youngster could perhaps use a loan to a weaker side in Premier League or in the Championship in order to get the feel for football in the country.