Monaco midfielder and one-time Newcastle United target Aleksandr Golovin has the talent to thrive at a club like Premier League giants Liverpool, Ligue 1 rival Sofiane Boufal tells Championat.
It is four years now since Golovin announced himself to a wider audience, standing out during Russia’s remarkable run to the World Cup quarter-finals on home soil.
And, arguably for the first time since those heady days, the 26-year-old is producing performances of a similarly sky-high standard on a weekly basis. It is a testament to Monaco coach Philippe Clement, and his coaching staff, that Golovin is finally living up to his reputation in the Principality.
“We spoke with him eight months ago, when I arrived at the club,” Clement tells the Monaco Tribune of his £26 million ‘genius’.
“He had already been here for three or four years, but was often injured and never played much. I saw a player in training who was technically very strong, but physically imperfect. We told him that, with the performance staff, we could help him to become a great player.
“Thanks to that, he can string matches together these days. He is more explosive, more solid too. He took matters into his own hands to become the player he is right now.”
Is Monaco and Russia ace Aleksandr Golovin really good enough for Liverpool?
In 14 Ligue 1 matches this season, Golovin has three goals and three assists. The numbers do not do his performances justice, however. Drifting in to devastating effect from his left-sided role, Golovin is the man who makes this Monaco side tick.
“Golovin is a very good player,” says former Southampton winger, who came up against the Russian at Angers. “I like his playing style. I hope he has a great season at Monaco.
“He can play for clubs of the level of Liverpool or Chelsea, because he has a huge potential.”
So far, there has been no indication that Golovin is anywhere near Liverpool’s radar, although the Merseyside giants are in the market for a creative midfielder capable of adding some va-va voom and a dash of horsepower to Jurgen Klopp’s rather one-paced engine room.
Golovin certainly wouldn’t come cheap. Newcastle United have already seen a £34 million bid rejected this year.
“(The rumours are) definitely not fake. Negotiations between Monaco and Newcastle on Sasha Golovin (happened),” admits agent Alexander Klyuev.
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