Twitter reacts as Monaco sign Chelsea target
After weeks of speculation, AS Monaco have finally beaten Chelsea to sign Aleksandr Golovin on a five-year deal from CSKA Moscow for a reported fee worth €30 million (£26.5m/$35m).
Golovin played 113 games for CSKA since making his senior debut in 2014 and won the Premier League title in 2016.
An Under-17 Euros winner in 2013, he has gone on to make 23 appearances for Russia's senior side.
The 22-year-old scored once and got two assists as his side reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup before losing to Croatia in a penalty shoot-out. His impressive displays on the global stage gave his reputation a boost, drawing links to Chelsea and a couple of other high-profile clubs.
Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev suggested this week his club had won the race for Golovin having endured competition from "very large European clubs".
We are very happy with the arrival of Aleksandr Golovin at AS Monaco. He is a talented young player, very prominent during the World Cup, but we have been following him for a long time.
He already has solid experience in Russian first division and internationally. Despite the competition of very large European clubs, Aleksandr has chosen the sporting project of AS Monaco, which will offer him the best conditions to continue his progress.
"I am very happy to sign at AS Monaco," Golovin said.
"This is a new adventure for me that I approach with a lot of ambitions. I am now very much looking forward to meeting the staff and my new teammates and to get going."
Golovin joins defender Pele, midfielder Jean-Eudes Aholou and teenager Willem Geubbels among Monaco's summer signings, although Thomas Lemar has been sold to Atletico Madrid and Fabinho joined Liverpool.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the sensational announcement.