Arsenal: Aleksandr Golovin is still not the answer

Aleksandr Golovin put on a staggering display for Russia at the World Cup to reignite rumours that he could be on his way to Arsenal. But the attacking midfielder is still not the answer.

The World Cup is here. I love the World Cup. There are few tournaments that capture the astounding brilliance, unpredictability, rawness of sport like the World Cup. The pain, the adulation, the drama, the mistakes, the quality. All of it is magnified ten-fold. And that is why, when a player puts in a good performance, everybody’s ears prick up a little.

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We have seen it time and time again. A player enjoys a prosperous summer tournament, attracts interest from a myriad of clubs, their price triples, and, eventually, they sign for a top team after a lengthy saga that drags on into the closing stages of the window. And it took just 90 minutes for the first darling of this summer’s World Cup to arise.

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Aleksandr Golovin, who has been linked with a move to the Emirates in the past and impressed greatly for CSKA Moscow against Arsenal in the Europa League earlier this season, glistened in the World Cup opener, recording two assists and a goal as he twinkled his way through the heart of a somewhat hapless Saudi Arabia defence time and time again. It was a lovely performance of control, grace, creativity, and quality, curling a beautiful free-kick in the closing seconds to add the fifth to a 5-0 waltz.

The performance, allied with the previous links and general furore that surrounds even a remotely talented attacking midfielder with elegance on the ball, has led to many suggesting that Arsenal should pursue his services, with this ESPN report summarising the possibility in quite some depth.

The problem, though, as is so often the case with the talented attackers that Arsenal often chase, is that Golovin isn’t actually the solution to the problem. In fact, there’s not really a problem. While he has spent plenty of time out wide and in central areas, he is a roaming, space-seeking-type attacker. He thrives off freedom.

But Arsenal don’t need any more of those players. They already have plenty. Mesut Ozil, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, Alex Iwobi. They all want to play in that free-roaming, pocket-drifting role that is unshackled from the defensive responsibility of a true central-midfield role and absent of the need to provide width by isolating themselves for large portions by simply standing on the touchline.

If there is a need for an attacking player, it is a true, traditional, pacy, direct winger. That is not who Golovin is. You could take it a step further. You could, in fact, argue that Arsenal don’t need any attackers whatsoever. They need defensive reinforcements. And, on the tight budget that they are reportedly working under, any money that is spent on other players is a wasted investment.

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Golovin may be a nice player. He may have put on a show to open up the World Cup. He may be wonderful to watch. But don’t be fluttered by his fleet of foot. Golovin is not the answer.