MONACO - Russian midfielder Aleksandr Golovin has quit CSKA Moscow to join Monaco on a five-year contract worth 30 million euros ($35m) plus add-ons.
Capped 23 times by Russia, the 22-year-old Golovin was one of the host team's stand-out players as they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Golovin becomes the first Russian player to be signed for Monaco, whose Russian billionaire president, Dmitry Rybolovlev, took over the club when in the second division in December 2011.
Meanwhile, Werder Bremen have signed Everton misfit Davy Klaassen after paying a reported club record of 14 million euros ($16.3m) for the Netherlands international, it was confirmed on Friday. The midfielder has quit Goodison Park having failed to make an impact in the 12 months since Everton paid Ajax £24.30m (27.3m euros) for him and Bremen have reportedly given Klaassen a four-year deal.
Having made just 16 appearances in total, and only three Premier League starts for Everton last season, Klaassen now hopes to kick start his career in the Bundesliga with Werder. The Dutch international will replace Danish midfielder, Thomas Delaney, who left Bremen for Borussia Dortmund last month in a deal reportedly worth 20 million euros.
Klaaseen is expected to be a like-for-like replacement at Bremen for Delaney, who scored three goals in 32 league games last season. Having been told by new Everton boss Marco Silva there was no place for him in his plans, Klaassen believes he has found a suitable home with the Bundesliga club.
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The place to be 🤳 #WelcomeToMonaco pic.twitter.com/jqShws3E6S
— AS Monaco 🇲🇨 (@AS_Monaco) July 27, 2018
"It was important to me to know exactly where the journey was going on the pitch and the ambitions of the club have convinced me," he told the Werder website. "After my exchange with (Bremen coach) Florian Kohfeldt I have a very good feeling that I can make an important contribution here with my abilities. I want to prove that I can make a big impact here. The head coach wants to play a very open and attacking style of football and I am really excited about that."
Bremen, who finished 11th in Germany's top flight last season, start their 2018/19 Bundesliga campaign at home to Hanover 96 on August 25.
⚽ @DavyKlaassen could make his Green-White debut in tonight's friendly with @arminia! (Kick off 19:00 CEST) 🤗 #werder #MoinDavy pic.twitter.com/HBux9VK3FZ