Chelsea set sights on beating Arsenal to Russian midfielder

Chelsea are prepared to make a £15m bid for CSKA Moscow midfielder Aleksandr Golovin in January as they seek to ward off interest from London rivals Arsenal.

The 21-year-old is regarded as one of the most promising young prospects in the Russian top-flight, and he is expected to play a significant role when the home nation take part in next summer's World Cup finals.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has sent scouts to keep a close watch on Golovin over the past year, but according to The Sun, the Blues could potentially win the race by negotiating a winter move for his services.

It is added that the Premier League holders are prepared to allow Golovin to spend the rest of the campaign on loan with CSKA, who are currently placed third in their domestic division.

Should a winter move not go through, the Blues could potentially seek to pursue his services prior to the World Cup as a string of top-notch performances in the global tournament could up his valuation further.