Why Real Madrid should revisit Golovin transfer

Stuart Telford

• 11 Feb 2023 11:26 CST
• 4 min read

Real Madrid were linked with a move for Aleksandr Golovin before the Russia midfielder joined Monaco. They could do worse than make another transfer bid for him next summer.

Golovin captured the popular imagination in the summer of 2018 when he starred for hosts Russia at that year's World Cup, with a goal and two assists on their run to the quarter-finals.

Many of Europe's biggest clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus as well as Real - were linked with a move for the midfielder, but Monaco won the race for his signature, paying CSKA Moscow €30 million for his services.

READ: Aleksandr Golovin's FootballTransfers profile

Injuries have held Golovin's progress in the principality up, and he hasn't started more than 20 Ligue 1 games since the 2019/20 season, but he was given an intensive training regime at the start of the season which is beginning to reap dividends.

Clement: 'knew Golovin could become a top player'

"At training I saw a player that was technically very gifted but not in good shape," Monaco coach Philippe Clement explained to the Ligue 1 Show on beIN SPORTS.

"We knew we could help him become a top player and he worked hard. Now, he's fresher, stronger and more explosive. He's realising his full potential. You can really see the difference now for sure."

READ: Zidane tells Real Madrid: sign rising Ligue 1 star and I'll return

Golovin opened the scoring for Monaco against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday, taking his Ligue 1 goal-involvements this season to 11 - five goals, six assists - plundered at a rate of one comfortably inside every two games he plays.

As well as his attacking production, Golovin is also one of the best pressing players in the league, his averages of two tackles and one block per 90 minutes putting him in the 99th percentile among players in his position in France.

Real could be set for a bit of as shake-up this summer, meanwhile. Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with the vacant Brazil manager's job with los Blancos trailing Barcelona by eight points at the top of La Liga, with Zinedine Zidane tipped for a third stint as head coach.

He reportedly wants Florentino Perez to sign Lyon prodigy Rayan Cherki as a condition of his return. Real are lacking a No.10 since Isco's departure last year, while Eden Hazard has never looked like plugging that gap.

But while Cherki is a promising talent, Golovin is now performing at the peak of his powers, and Real would be looking at the wrong part of the Francophonie if they went for him instead of the Russian.