Alexander Golovin recently effectively reminded of himself. The Russian's long-range goal gave Monaco a victory over Angers and was included in the collections of the best goals scored of the weekend. Why is one of the main talents of Russia still in the French championship, and rumors about a possible move to a top club appear less and less?
Alexander's talent was never in doubt. It seems that many have begun to forget how long he has been performing in France. Golovin moved to Monaco immediately after the 2018 World Cup. Then there were rumors in the press that the midfielder could become part of Juventus or Chelsea. However, the CSKA midfielder accepted the offer from the Cote d'Azur.
Injuries, coaches and the absence of the Champions League
It is worth clarifying that Monaco four years ago is not very similar to Golovin's current team. The Russian moved to a club that won silver medals and directly entered the group stage of the Champions League. Just a year before the transition of Alexander, the Monegasques were able to throw PSG off the throne and become champions.
A lot has changed in the club during Alexander's stay in France. Monaco have never again reached the top 2 in the league and have not been in the Champions League group since the 2018/19 season. Twice during this time the club generally remained without European cups. Therefore, the status of a top team can now be applied to the Monegasques only with a stretch.
In just over four seasons, Golovin has changed five head coaches, and Leonardo Jardim even managed to work twice at Monaco. At the same time, the choice of bosses did not always seem logical. For example, in October 2018, a sinking team was picked up by Thierry Henry, who by that time had no experience as a head coach. After three months and 11 defeats, the legendary Frenchman was fired.
Golovin himself played his 150th match for Monaco over the weekend, giving himself a wonderful goal for his anniversary. Alexander could have played more meetings if not for the injury. For all the time, the midfielder missed 43 matches due to various injuries. However, this season, injuries bypass the Russian side.
Alexander's contract with Monaco runs until the summer of 2024. Clubs most often a year and a half before the expiration of the contract either agree on its extension, or decide to sell the player. Due to the lack of news and rumors about Golovin's future, Sport contacted experts and officials to sort out the situation.
The position of the club, agent and experts
French journalist Aurélien Maquedo works for Footmercato and covers Monaco games. He shared his opinion about the lack of news about Golovin's new contract:
«The agreement is still in effect for another year and a half, but I have not seen any official statement from Monaco or Philippe Clement (head coach of the club — ed.) on the subject of its extension. This is surprising. Not a word was said at the last press conferences, although Alexander remains an important player of the club in the current season.
The Monaco official response to the question of contract extension and proposals for Golovin from other clubs did not add specifics.
"Monaco" does not comment on rumors about possible interest from other clubs in our players. However, you can take a look at our coach's recent comments about Golovin's performance to clear things up. Before the Europa League match, Philippe Clement said: "Very pleased with Alexander's performance. Since I came here, Golovin has improved a lot, especially physically. He works a lot with the ball, he has much more muscles now. We will see where his limits are, but I am very pleased with his game & # 34;, — said Sport in the press service & # 34; Monaco & # 34;.
< br>Golovin's agent Alexander Klyuev managed to clarify the situation. He promised news about the future of the midfielder in the near future."Have there been negotiations to extend the contract? You'll find out soon enough, a little later. Already during the game for "Monaco" Sasha had offers from other foreign clubs from the top leagues. Were these top clubs? They were interested in good teams. Sasha is now very comfortable in "Monaco". At the moment, he is focused on the upcoming matches of the Europa League and the games of Ligue 1", the agent said.
Klyuev did not name specific clubs, but you can compare his words with the latest rumors. It was reported last winter that Newcastle wanted to sign Golovin and were in talks with Monaco. It is unlikely that the team can be called a top one, but after the arrival of rich owners, the Magpies have noticeably intensified. Now they, for example, are fourth in the standings of the championship of England.However, should Alexander himself now think about leaving Monaco? Or does he need to enjoy the confidence of Clement and continue his career on the Côte d'Azur? These questions were answered by the French journalist Kritisfer Rocks from the newspaper Nice-Matin, who works at the Monaco home games.
"We have not seen Golovin in such good physical shape since 2018. Alexander avoids injuries, and a large number of games gives him confidence on the field. It seems that muscle problems are left behind. Clement also notes that Alexander has advanced physically. Even during the pre-season, we noticed that Golovin began to defend more, and his mileage per match increased", said Rocks Sport.
Expert added that Alexander has all the qualities to become a «killer». He called Golovin one of Monaco's most technical players. However, he advised the Russian to score more. The journalist set Alexander the task of scoring ten goals and getting fewer yellow cards.As for his possible departure, now this topic is irrelevant. I think Golovin feels good in "Monaco". Perhaps the question of his transition will arise in the future. But this topic is definitely not worth discussing now", added Rox. him at the CSKA Academy Alexander Grishin. According to the coach, the midfielder has not outgrown the level of the French club."It's his business to go somewhere or not. But I think that Sasha has not yet outgrown "Monaco". He hasn't played full matches in the last four years. Scouts always look at how many people are playing. And Golovin then comes on as a substitute, then changes in the second half. Now there are not enough persons interested in the transfer of Golovin. As I understand it, in "Monaco" everything suits him, he himself spoke about it. I'm not upset at all, wherever he plays. To be honest, it makes absolutely no difference to me where Golovin will perform,» Grishin said.
Match TV commentator Alexander Netsenko, who specializes in the French Championship, spoke about Golovin's chances to play in top European clubs."When I hear year after year that Golovin needs to leave "League 1" in any of the other top championships, then these questions make me laugh and sad. Sadness from the fact that many fans consider the French championship an appendage to football Europe. And laughter because I absolutely do not understand why he should leave "Monaco". Sasha has already adapted to the league, where he gets a huge amount of game practice", — said Netsenko.
Alexander noted that it would be difficult for Golovin to be in a team from top championship, which solves problems similar to Monaco.
"Monaco" every year solves the same problem — to get into the top three and qualify for the Champions League. In order for Golovin to get promoted, he needs to go into the league stronger and get into a team that will solve such problems. Can Alexander do it? I doubt it very much and I don’t understand why he should leave. If he moves to a lower class team, he will not be able to qualify for the Champions League. In "Monaco" Sasha is the starting player. He used to have problems with minor damage, but this difficulty no longer exists — he plays for 90 minutes. With different coaches, he always won the competition", the journalist added.
The commentator also noted that the Russian owner of Monaco, Dmitry Rybolovlev, does not give the midfielder any patronage. Netsenko believes that Golovin has been clearly progressing in recent years, although not everyone notices this. Golovin needs to think very hard before moving somewhere. If we talk about leagues, then the English Premier League does not suit him. There you need physical readiness, the ability to fight all 90 minutes and play at a high pace. And the French championship is not so intense. If they go, then to Spain or Italy. But I repeat, it is better for him to stay in "Monaco". You should not look for him in the top 3 teams of the leading leagues. No such club will take him", the commentator concluded. the same awaits Golovin in the future. What do you think?
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November 3, 10:00 Football