Aleksandr Golovin fulfilled the expectations of a nation this summer as he starred in Russia’s surprise run to the quarter-finals at the World Cup.
He was already on the radar of several of Europe’s leading clubs, and his performance at the tournament only enhanced his desirability for the chasing pack.
Our scouting report shows exactly what a club would be getting in the 22-year-old – and where he’d fit best.
WORLD CUP OVERVIEW
Russia weren’t expected to make any waves at this World Cup, even as hosts, but they blew away all expectations with their performance in the tournament opener. Golovin starred, setting up two goals before finishing off a 5-0 rout of Saudi Arabia with a sumptuous free-kick.
He couldn’t quite hit those heights in Russia’s next game, against Egypt, but was quietly efficient and helped kill off Mohamed Salah‘s side. He followed that up by leading the charge in Russia’s stunning upset of Spain.
Unfortunately, his tournament petered out with an underwhelming display against Croatia as Russia were knocked out in the quarter-finals on penalties.
RATINGS FROM THE ARCHIVE
Group Stages
Russia 5 Saudi Arabia 0
8 – Instrumental performance, bagging two assists and a goal to boot.
Russia 3 Egypt 1
6 – Didn’t have the starring impact he did against Saudi Arabia, but stuck to his task well and grew into the game.
Round of 16
Spain 1 Russia 1
7 – By far the most dangerous of Russia’s attackers, though that wasn’t difficult. Fired home a low penalty.
Quarter-final
Russia 2 Croatia 2
5 – A strangely quiet performance after a strong start to the tournament. What was even stranger was that the 22-year-old – Russia’s best striker of a dead ball – didn’t take a penalty in the shoot-out.
WORLD CUP IN NUMBERS
CLUB FORM
Golovin had a decent domestic campaign, bagging five goals and three assists as CSKA Moscow finished in second place in the Russian Premier League, two points behind winners Lokomotiv Moscow.
Where the youngster really shined was in the Europa League. CSKA came into the competition after finishing third in their Champions League group – Golovin picked up an assist against Manchester United, albeit in a 4-1 loss – and then their young star began announcing himself to the world.
His goalscoring display against Lyon in the second leg of their Round of 32 tie helped CSKA complete a memorable comeback, and he capped it off with a free-kick goal against Arsenal.
BIGGEST STRENGTH
Free-kicks – Golovin can strike a dead ball. His free-kick over the Gunners briefly gave CSKA hope of picking up a big scalp in the Europa League, and even if that didn’t end up happening, it certainly gave his side a highlight from their European adventure.
If a stunning goal in a big European tie wasn’t highlight enough, Golovin then topped it off with an even better strike at the World Cup. Whoever signs him will be getting a dead-ball specialist.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS
Golovin has a tendency to overplay, trying too hard to dribble past his man when an easy pass is available. It will cost his team at times, as he could leave his side open to quick counterattacks stemming directly from his mistakes.
This tendency is largely born out of youthful naivety, however, and as he grows older it’s likely that he’ll be more responsible and buy into a team ethic more readily. His defensive work rate shows he’s capable of the latter, so this aspect of his game should improve.
Emerging star: Aleksandr Golovin.
BEST FITS
Golovin would be a perfect fit at Chelsea. New manager Maurizio Sarri has a reputation for getting the best out of attacking talents, and the Russian star seems tailor-made for Sarri to help develop. Not to mention, Golovin is a perfect replacement for Hazard in case the Belgian leaves – indeed, there are shades of an early Hazard to his game.
And on the off chance Sarri manages to convince Hazard to stay, Golovin will get to learn under his senior colleague, and there are few better players to take the youngster under his wing.
Another place where the Russian would fit right in is at Liverpool. He’d have to get used to the high-octane nature of Liverpool’s play, but with Jurgen Klopp’s love of players who can play as both central and attacking midfielders, there would surely be a place for him at Anfield.
Putting him in a midfield alongside Fabinho and Naby Keita behind Liverpool’s famous front three would bring the best out of Golovin’s passing and playmaking abilities, and the ability to play on the front foot all the time will get the best out of him. Liverpool haven’t been linked with him seriously, but they should be considering the young Russian.