Left out of Russia’s starting XI for their final Group A clash against Uruguay, Aleksandr Golovin was rested ahead of what will now be a first knockout round game versus Spain.
The CSKA Moscow star has enjoyed a very good first couple of games for his country, which attracted interest from a number of teams, including Juventus, Chelsea and Arsenal.
The Serie A champions have, according to the Italian media, been in the lead to sign Golovin, even making a first offer of €15-19m for the 22-year-old.
Unfortunately for them, CSKA decided to turn that down, upping their demands to €25-30m for their prize asset.
The reason for that, performances aside, is the fact the Blues and the Gunners have entered the mix, as the Russian club know they can get more money out of the Premier League sides.
There’s even the suggestion that Roman Abramovich could have a ‘discreet influence’ on his compatriots should he decide to gift the Russia international to his manager (whoever that ends up being).
Unlikely to make a decision before Golovin’s World Cup run comes to an end, the cards are fully in CSKA’s hand, and a good performance against Spain might even end up adding an extra €5m to his price tag.
Arsenal and Chelsea have been warned.
