Chelsea are in talks with CSKA Moscow with a view to making the attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin their first signing of the summer.
Golovin has impressed as Russia have progressed to facing Spain in the last 16 at the World Cup, with two assists in the group stage. Chelsea have now moved to follow up their long-standing interest in the 22-year-old.
Juventus had been close to securing the player earlier in the summer, with Arsenal having also been in the picture.
CSKA are thought to want around £27m for Golovin, whose contract runs to the end of the 2020-21 season, and Chelsea would be willing to meet that valuation. Last season the playmaker was linked with Napoli, who were then managed by Maurizio Sarri. The Italian is expected to replace Antonio Conte at Chelsea before the start of the new campaign.
Leonid Slutsky, formerly Russia’s manager and a close friend of Roman Abramovich, had brought Golovin to CSKA from Metallurg Novokuznetsk and has championed his abilities. Slutsky is in charge at Vitesse Arnhem, a club with whom Chelsea enjoy a close relationship, but, once secured, the midfielder will not be joining the Dutch side on loan.
There are doubts over the futures of Willian and Pedro at Stamford Bridge, while Cesc Fàbregas is entering the final year of his contract. Danny Drinkwater will be permitted to leave, though not for less than the £35m Chelsea paid Leicester last summer, while any bids for Ruben Loftus-Cheek or Ross Barkley will be rejected.
