Benitez wanted £25m ace at Everton, now he can join Newcastle instead

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So, Rafa Benitez has gone. And so too, it seems, have Everton’s chances of luring Aleksandr Golovin to Goodison Park. 

It is well documented that Benitez and Marcel Brands didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye during their time together on Merseyside. Brands wanted Donny van de Beek. Rafa didn’t. Rafa wanted Golovin. Brands did not. 

But with Brands out the picture, the sporting director announcing his departure before Christmas, Benitez appeared to have a free run at Monaco’s £25 million Russian international.  

According to The Athletic, the former Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United is a big fan of Golovin.

Benitez would have jumped at the chance to sign the Russia international during the January transfer window, even if the former CSKA Moscow star might have been a little rich for Everton’s blood. 

Russian publication Championat even claimed last week that Everton had stepped up their chase, making contact with Monaco.

At the time, Benitez was still very much Everton manager. Albeit one that would have made Sam Allardyce look like Howard Kendall in the popularity stakes.  

Seven days later, Benitez is nothing more than a bad memory, another haunting chapter in Everton’s haunting novella of failures.

But if Benitez belongs to the past, a future with Golovin pulling the strings on Gwladys Street feels like little more than a fanciful fever dream. 

Is a move to Everton now off the table for Aleksandr Golovin?

Everton will not be making any new signings until they find Benitez’s replacement.

Whether that be Wayne Rooney, Gennaro Gattuso, Kasper Hjulmand or someone else, Benitez’s successor will arrive with their own list of transfer targets.

And if Van de Beek was Brands’ man, Golovin was Benitez’s. 

With Everton out of the picture, the ball is very much in Newcastle United’s court. The nouveau-riche Magpies are keen on Golovin too (MetaRatings).

What’s more, he’s open to joining Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and the incoming Diego Carlos at St James’ Park. 

West Ham are also keen. Even if there are concerns about how Golovin would fit into a squad already chock-full of talented attacking midfielders.

As far as Everton are concerned, however, it seems Benitez has taken any hopes of a deal for Golovin with him out the Goodison Park exit door.