Arsenal were linked with a £10million move to sign CSKA Moscow midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, but Gunners scout Pavel Kucherov has shot down the rumour.
According to a report by Arse Blog News, Golovin was strongly linked with a £10million switch to Arsenal this summer, but the Gunners look unlikely to make a move at this stage.
Arsenal’s Russian scout Kucherov has claimed that the player “is not ready for Premier League football”, and will need to improve on his physical and mental abilities before considering a move to join the Emirates side.
The midfielder joined Moscow as a 16-year-old but quickly rose up the ranks and became a strong player and played his debut match two years later.
Golovin earned his senior debut for CSKA Moscow towards the end of the 2014/15 campaign and they won the Russian Premier League the following season. The 21-year-old has made 70 first-team appearances for the Russian giants, scoring six goals and providing five assists.
Last season he made 36 appearances and also scored three goals as CSKA narrowly missed out on the Russian Premier League title, finishing second on the table.
Golovin can play any position in attack, but he is best suited as a playmaker. His style is almost similar to Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and has excellent technique. Also, he is adept at controlling the ball and can pick a pass well.
Even though Mesut Ozil’s future at Arsenal is uncertain, it will be a while before Golovin is able to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League – something which seasoned players like Radamel Falcao couldn’t do after joining Manchester United – and also he lacks in experience.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were identified as the club interested in Golovin before Arsenal, but even Conte is unlikely to offer him a starting role anytime soon.
If they do sign him, they are most likely to utilize him as a back-up option and subject him to a period of training before actually letting him play which will see a major reduction in his playing time. Golovin is already getting enough action with Moscow, and a move to the Premier League might seem unnecessary for him at this stage.
