Chelsea had a very low-key transfer window so far, and they have been handed yet another blow. Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin has opted to move to Monaco rather than Stamford Bridge.
Golovin is set to pen to paper on Friday.
Golovin’s transfer will cost the Ligue 1 outfit €30 million (£26.5m/$35m) up front. CSKA Moscow also in line to receive a percentage of any future sale of the 22-year old star.
The player will undergo a medical on Thursday and will sign a five-year deal with the Ligue 1 side, with his presentation likely to be on Friday.
The midfielder tipped to be a future star ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018 and had been linked with The Blues for some time. Russia performed well above expectations, as they hosted football’s biggest tournament this summer.
Golovin played a key role in the nation’s exciting progression to the quarter-finals, helping to boost his market value. It is true that Golovin had been in advanced talks with Chelsea, so much so that Juventus were scared away from the negotiating table.
But the Blues’ decision to sign Jorginho, another midfielder, saw doubt creep into Golovin’s mind over playing time. In the end, the offer from Monaco became more appealing. The Ligue 1 side will be able to offer more in the way of guaranteed time on the pitch.
The Blues, who still wanted to sign the Russian midfielder even after Jorginho’s arrival, will now be forced to look elsewhere to bring in another midfield reinforcement.
Daniele Rugani’s agent Davide Torchia confirmed Chelsea are interested in signing the Juventus centre-back. Rugani has been heavily linked with Chelsea after former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri replaced Antonio Conte. The 23-year-old Italy international defender worked under Sarri during his loan spell at Empoli.