Arsenal in Talks to Sign CSKA Moscow's Aleksandr Golovin
CSKA Moscow did well last season when they finished second behind Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League title race. The club will play in the Champions League next season, but one of their top young talents may be moving on to a new club.
According to Sports.ru, Arsenal are closing in on a £10-million deal for Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, and the Gunners are reportedly considering loaning him back to CSKA Moscow once the deal is done.
Golovin has a bright future ahead of him, but he's probably not ready to play regular first-team football with Arsenal so it will be for the best if he remains in Russia for another season.
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An alternative option is to loan him out to Hull City since former CSKA Moscow manager Leonid Slutsky is currently in charge of the club. This way, Golovin can slowly get used to the style of football in England away from the spotlight. He'll also get to test his skills against the players in the second tier of English football.
Golovin's agent, Oleg Artemov, refuses to confirm the move last week. But like they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. The Gunners' cross-town rivals, Chelsea, are reportedly pursuing the Russian footballer as well.
Meanwhile, former Russia international Andrei Kanchelski believes Golovin is going to do well in the Premier League, and he thinks the midfielder is ready to challenge for a spot in the first-team.
"If he joins, it's probably not as a passenger. So, there are some plans for Golovin. I do not think Arsene Wenger would buy him to leave him on the bench," Kanchelski told Russian publication Sports.ru, via the Daily Express.
"At Arsenal it will be easier. There Alexander Hleb started to play, Andrey Arshavin at first showed himself well and played for six months," he continued. "Do not think that Golovin will sit on the bench. I am sure that he has very good chances to gain a foothold and play in the first team of Arsenal," he added.
