In conversations among the coaches of Russian Premier League clubs, Alexander Golovin, the Monaco midfielder, was singled out as the best player in Russia. The praise came through the coverage of Sports Express, which highlighted the consensus among peers about his exceptional form and impact on the field this season.
Golovin earned the highest number of votes in the poll, gathering more than twice as many as his nearest rival. The second place went to John Córdoba of Krasnodar, followed by Wendel of Zenit in third. This voting pattern underlines Golovin’s ability to influence matches from midfield, with a blend of technical precision, vision, and decisive moments that have impressed coaches across the league.
The midfielder’s journey took him from Moscow’s CSKA to Monaco in the summer of 2018. The transfer was a landmark for the French club, setting a record as the most expensive signing in its history at the time. Monaco invested 30 million euros to secure the talents of Golovin, a fee that stood alongside other notable moves of the same window, prompting discussions about market values and the club’s strategic direction in European competition. The move marked a turning point, both for Golovin’s career and for Monaco’s project on the international stage.
Throughout the current season, Golovin has appeared in 14 official matches for Monaco, contributing five goals and two assists. His goal tally places him among the team’s most reliable scorers, with Wissam Ben Yedder leading the charge for goal production for the club, having found the net on six occasions. Golovin’s contributions extend beyond goals and assists; his ability to press, orchestrate play from midfield, and link defense with attack has helped Monaco maintain pressure in key fixtures and generate scoring opportunities from midfield transitions.
At the moment, Monaco sits in third place in the league table with 30 points after 15 matches. Nice sits a couple of steps ahead in second position, just two points clear, while Paris Saint-Germain remains the pace-setter with 36 points. The trio of top clubs has created a competitive landscape in the French league, where every match influences the race for the title and European qualification spots. Monaco’s next assignment against Lyon, scheduled for December 15, represents an important test in maintaining momentum and consolidating a podium finish as the campaign enters a critical phase.
In related developments, there have been notable performances from other Russian talents abroad that have kept scouts and fans attentive to the evolving landscape of continental football. A recent example involved Aleksei Miranchuk, who delivered a sequence of impactful moves for Atalanta, underscoring his ongoing importance to his club’s attacking dynamic. Miranchuk’s form adds another layer to the perception of Russian players thriving outside their home league, reflecting broader trends in player development, adaptation to different tactical systems, and the ability to influence games in diverse environments.