Juventus look set to miss out on Russian starlet Aleksandr Golovin, after Chelsea stole a march on them in the race for the CSKA Moscow midfielder.
The Bianconeri had been closely tracking the 22-year-old after a series of impressive displays in the Europa League, whilst his performances at the World Cup on home soil have caught the eye of a number of European clubs.
However, Juventus’ long-term interest appears to have counted for nothing, with Mundo Deportivo reporting that Premier League outfit Chelsea are closing in on a €23 million deal for Golovin.
It is reported that the Blues’ Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, has used his close personal ties with CSKA owner and compatriot Yegveni Giner to tie up a move for the midfielder.
The Stamford Bridge club have also seen off competition from London rivals Arsenal for Golovin, with the Kaltan-native appearing on the Gunners’ radar after a superb freekick against them in a Europa League quarter-final in April.
Golovin has scored 13 goals in 113 appearances for CSKA, and has three strikes in 21 Russia caps, having starred in his country’s 5-0 World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia with two assists.
