World Cup 2018: 5 lesser known youngsters to watch out for

#2 Aleksandr Golovin (Russia)

Golovin is one of Russia's biggest talent

If rumours are to be believed, then Golovin will not remain an enigma to a vast majority of the football fans as he has been linked with a move to Manchester United. Although such a move seems unlikely at the moment because of the midfield options the club already possesses and the impending transfer of Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk.

Golovin is one of the key players for the hosts Russia. The 22-year-old central midfielder has 18 caps and two goals for Russia since making his debut back in 2015.

The CSKA Moscow player, who was part of the Russian team that won the 2013 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, is a midfielder capable of bridging the attack and defence with his superior dribbling skills, good passing ability and strength to hold up the ball. What makes him stand out though is his work rate and strong defensive contribution.

Although Golovin’s defensive traits are one of his major strengths, he scored 7 goals and assisted 4 more from midfield in 38 games across all competitions during the 2017/18 season.