Aleksandr Golovin leaves CSKA Moscow to join AS Monaco in 2022

Aleksandr Golovin, a Russian attacking midfielder, completed a move from CSKA Moscow to AS Monaco, a club in France's top division, Ligue 1, on 1 July 2022. He had spent years at CSKA, the Russian army-linked club, and was one of the best-known players in the Russian league.

Golovin first drew wide attention at the 2018 World Cup, which Russia hosted, where he was among the standout players as the national team reached the quarter-finals. After that tournament he was linked with several European clubs, but he stayed in Moscow for several more seasons before finally leaving.

The transfer mattered because it took one of Russia's leading players to a major Western European league at a time when Russian football was largely isolated from international competition. At Monaco he became a regular in the first team, and he has remained a central figure for the Russian national team. That is why his later injuries at the club have direct consequences for Russia's squad selection and results.