Transfer News:
Chelsea have resolved the managerial situation at the club by appointing Maurizio Sarri after long drawn reports pointing towards the same. This would surely bring a certain sort of stability to their transfer activities and they seem to be making swift turns already.
Chelsea have been linked with a move for Aleksandr Golovin for quite some time now but if his ex-CSKA Moscow teammate, Sergey Chepchugov, is to be believed, Chelsea have finally won the race to sign him. In an Instagram post, the Russian is seen congratulating Golovin and urging him to ‘have fun at Chelsea’.
The 22 year-old midfielder was particularly impressive in the World Cup where his exploits were demonstrated on the global stage.
Chelsea’s midfield problems weren’t addressed properly last season, as Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley hardly featured due to their injury issues. Cesc Fabregas has regressed too and this certainly means that they need some quality reinforcements at the centre of the park.
The club hijacked a deal for Jorginho ahead of Manchester City and are looking to further strengthen themselves with some quality additions.
Golovin: Player Profile
Aleksandr Golovin is a quick central midfielder and possesses the strong defensive intelligence to star whilst playing in a deeper role too. He can carry the ball ahead and looks for passes with his astute game-reading sense. Golovin is quick on the field and can make smart decisions regarding pressing the opponent or making the final pass in the attacking third.
His dribbling ensures a strong creative force in the centre of the pitch and Golovin is actually the supply line to the forwards as his tendency to link the backline with the forwards means that the team has a good cohesion overall.
Golovin balances his offensive and defensive duties well enough, as he is always ready to add to the numbers in attack, or while tracking back when required. He scored once and assisted twice in four FIFA World Cup matches this time around and delivered an average of 1.5 key passes per game. He was lively while putting in tackles, as Golovin won 3.3 tackles per game in the World Cup and that sort of justifies the balance that he maintains in defence and attack.
Should Chelsea sign him?
Sarri will definitely try to instil a different playing style at Chelsea and this means that the greater emphasis will be on the midfield positions. The Italian manager focuses on having a free-flowing, adaptable midfield with technically adept players. Golovin is a hard-working footballer and his tenacity, as well as the creative edge, would surely benefit Chelsea going ahead.
His tendency to join the dots in the midfield and to drop back and defend when required highlights Golovin’s tactical flexibility and adaptability too. Signing him would definitely be an upgrade over some of the current options that they have in their squad.
