Football
Golovin has obviously outgrown Monaco. We found the ideal top club for a Russian
Alexander Golovin / Photo: © Jonathan Moscrop / Contributor / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
Alexander has established himself as the leader of the Monegasques, but his sixth season at the club could be his last.
This Sunday, Alexander Golovin again became the main hero in his team, ensuring their victory over Brest (2:0). The Russian chalked up an assist and another goal scored.
Golovin’s performance this season cannot fail to attract the attention of big clubs. Even against the backdrop of a strong French championship, his game stands out noticeably.
In his sixth season at Monaco, Alexander has reached a level where an invitation to a top club becomes a matter of time.
Monaco coach is delighted with Golovin
The match with Brest was Golovin’s fourth of the season in which he managed to score effective points. Usually Sasha does not waste his time on trifles and scores two points at once using the “goal+pass” system. This happened this time too: at the beginning of the match, Golovin made an assist from a corner, and in the second half he scored himself, clearly shooting from outside the penalty area. As a result of the tour, the Russian national team player was included in the symbolic team for the fourth time this season, which is compiled by the main sports publication of France, L’Equipe.
All matches of the season in which Golovin scored goals:
September 2. “Lance” (1+0)
September 17. Lorient (1+1)
22 of October. Metz (2+0)
November 5. “Brest” (1+1)
Golovin has seven scoring points (5+2) in ten League 1 matches. At the moment, only Mbappe has better results in France. A strong start gives reason to hope that this season will be the most successful for the Russian in terms of statistics. In the meantime, the last championship is the best. There was also a strong 2020/21 season, but then a personal performance record was prevented by an unpleasant injury, due to which he missed 15 matches.
All goal actions of Golovin in League 1:
2023/24: 5+2 (10 matches)
2022/23: 8+7 (34)
2021/22: 3+4 (27)
2020/21: 5+9 (21)
2019/20: 3+4 (25)
2018/19: 3+3 (30)
In total, since 2018, in all tournaments for Monaco, the graduate of a football school in a small town in the Kemerovo region has scored “30+35” in 186 matches (0.4 on average per game) – an excellent result for a player of his role. Even at CSKA, Alexander’s performance was half as much – “13+11” in 113 matches (0.21).
Monaco’s style of play after the arrival of the new head coach clearly suits Golovin. Adi Hütter, unlike his predecessors, more often uses the Russian not on the left flank, but gives him freedom in the center. Before joining Monaco, the 53-year-old Austrian coach led super-attacking Salzburg, Young Boys, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Monchengladbach. The coach tries to preach his ideas in France, although the championship of this country is considered to be as close and closed as possible. In terms of performance, Monaco (25 goals in 11 matches) is now second only to PSG (26). Such statistics became possible not least thanks to Golovin.
The 27-year-old midfielder not only scores and assists, but also has a colossal influence on the progress of the ball, streamlines the production of aggravating passes, forces opponents to foul him and feels confident in single combats in perhaps the toughest European league. It is not surprising that Hütter is absolutely delighted with Golovin, whom he greeted very warmly after being substituted in the game against Brest. Later, the coach expressed his admiration to reporters:
– This is his fifth goal this season, scored after a great action! Golovin is an exceptional footballer, he can run for 90 minutes without stopping, Alexander is really in great shape now. We need him, he is a fantastic player and I hope he will continue to play a decisive role,” said Hütter.
It is clear that the head coach needs such a player, but his colleagues from other clubs may also be delighted with his performance.
Where can we expect Golovin next year?
Not long ago, Andrei Kanchelskis, one of the most successful Russian foreign players in the top leagues, expressed a thesis with which it is difficult to argue. According to the former Manchester United star, Golovin’s transfer to a top club is hampered by the player’s citizenship:
– Golovin has improved greatly. He, one might say, has grown in meat and is finally consistently playing at a high level. In principle, Golovin could now strengthen any club from the top 6 European championships. If Sasha were French, he would have gone to Chelsea for 100 million euros. But now his path to the Premier League is closed because of his passport,” RB Sport quotes Kanchelskis.
Premier League clubs traditionally closely monitor the French market: suffice it to say that seven out of ten positions in the top sales of Monaco in its entire history come from transactions with English clubs. Only recently, defenders Disasi and Badiashile followed the Monaco-Chelsea route, on whose transfers the Monegasques earned a total of more than 80 million euros. Golovin’s level in England cannot go unnoticed, but in the current political situation it is unlikely that anyone will decide to buy the Russian player.
In addition to his passport, Golovin’s potential transfer is hampered by his high transfer fee. Transfermarkt puts a price tag of 30 million euros next to the Russian’s name, but this has little to do with reality. Monaco will definitely not sell its best player for less than 50 million – this is an adequate assessment of a player of Golovin’s level. Few people outside of England can afford such a sum.
Juventus is the most realistic option
When analyzing a possible transfer, it is worth considering at least two important factors: the financial capabilities of the club and the need to strengthen the positions in which Golovin can play. Last season he played more often on the left flank, but now he mainly plays in the center.
It is still difficult to imagine Golovin in both Spanish superclubs. Real Madrid’s middle line looks maximally staffed; there is not even room for Turkish mega-talent Güller there yet. It’s a similar story at Barça, although a Russian football player once played for the Catalans. In the 90s, Igor Korneev flew to the legendary team of Johan Cruyff for a year. A couple of years ago, he talked about the possibility of Golovin appearing in the two main teams in Spain:
— Is it at the level of Real Madrid or Barcelona? When in top form, yes. I wouldn’t give less than €50-60 million for a player of his level. Why do Chelsea pay €80 million for Havertz? Comparing them, I don’t see that Havertz is better than Golovin,” Korneev noted for Match TV.
The squads of Barça and Real Madrid look complete at the moment. Madrid does not yet see Golovin as Modric’s heir, although the club has experience in expensively buying a Monaco player: last year they paid 80 million euros for the Russian partner Aurélien Tchouameni. It’s also difficult to imagine Golovin in the current Bayern and Inter. Milan and Roma are unlikely to support the transfer financially. As a result, there are only three options left.
“PSG”
Left wingers: Asensio, Kan-In
Midfielders: Zaire-Emery, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Soler
Purchases of €50+ million over the last three years: Kolo Muani (24 years, 95 million), Hakimi (22 years, 68 million), Ugarte (22 years, 60 million), Dembele (26 years, 50 million), Ramouche (23 years, 65 million)
People in France know best about Golovin’s capabilities. In Ligue 1, only one club can handle a €50 million transfer. It’s funny that every decade PSG marked a major purchase of a Monaco star: in the 90s it was George Weah, in the 2000s it was Jerome Roten, and in the 10s it was Kylian Mbappe. Perhaps the twenties will be marked by an expensive purchase of a Russian player.
There are enough factors to cast doubt on this option. PSG almost never signs players over the age of 27. They were ready to make an exception only for Messi. In addition, the Parisian midfield line looks complete. In the summer, promising Korean Lee Kang-In was purchased to join the existing players in Golovin’s role.
In addition, Luis Enrique has at his disposal the incredibly talented 17-year-old Zaire-Emery, who is already valued at 50 million euros. And don’t forget about Golovin’s peer, the Spaniard Fabian Ruiz, and the younger Portuguese Vitinha. With this level of competition, it’s easy to end up on the bench, which Sasha is definitely not interested in.
Atlético
Left wingers: Lino, Riquelme
Midfielders: De Paul, Koke Barrios, Lemar, Niguez,
Purchases of €50+ million over the last three years: –
Atlético is still moving away from the record-breaking transfer of Joao Felix, for whom 127 million was paid. Now Madrid are much more cautious about major purchases.
Five years ago, the Spanish club already bought the leader of Monaco, who plays in the same position as Golovin. Young Thomas Lemar cost 72 million euros, and now his market price is half that of Golovin. Now Alexander is seen as a much more ready player to play in Simeone’s system than Lemar was at one time.
Golovin is able to maintain intensity at any level, including in the Spanish championship. In addition, Atlético does not see anything special in purchasing older players. Two years ago, the “mattress guys” paid 35 million for 27-year-old Rodrigo De Paul. Simeone certainly wouldn’t mind a player who can carry the ball and find passes to Griezmann and Morata. Golovin is able to organize uninterrupted delivery to the attackers, and, if necessary, personally act as a finisher of attacks.
Juventus
Left wingers/midfielders: Kostic, Chiesa, Ayling Junior
Midfielders: Miretti, Rabiot, McKenney
Purchases of €50+ million over the last three years: Vlahovic (22 years old, 81.6 million)
Almost an ideal option for Golovin in terms of growth and for Juventus in terms of strengthening the middle line. During this season, two of the team’s midfielders managed to get long-term disqualifications: Paul Pogba for doping, Nicola Fagioli got burned out on bets. Immediately minus two potential competitors.
In addition, Juventus wanted to sign Golovin back in 2018, immediately after the World Cup. That summer, leading Italian newspapers more than once published covers depicting the young leader of the Russian national team, and his transfer to Juve was presented almost as a fait accompli. At the same time, Chelsea tried to sign Golovin, but Alexander chose Monaco. He later explained the logic behind his decision:
“I thought it would be difficult for me if I went straight to a big team like Chelsea or Juventus.” For me, these are the giants of football, especially since I am from Russia. If I were a European football player, I knew English ideally, and Italian, for example, I would of course choose one of these clubs. At that time, I was not ready for those championships, for the culture, for everything,” Golovin said on Match Premier.
After five years at Monaco, Golovin can no longer be intimidated by big team names. His current level and status are quite consistent with Juventus. If then the people of Turin saw in him only a player for the future, now he is capable of immediately becoming a new leader.
Source: Sportbox
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.