Zenit St Petersburg are optimistic that Arsenal will make a club record bid for Andrei Arshavin in the next few days, according to the Independent.
Arsène Wenger has money to spend after Arsenal made a £37m profit last season and, despite questioning Arshavin’s physique as he dazzled at the Euro 2008, the Arsenal manager is understood to have highlighted him as the man to restore a creative zip to his faltering side. “The price tag for Arshavin is £20m, and we are hopeful that Arsenal will make such an offer soon,” Zenit’s general director Maxim Mitrofanov told Radio Echo Moskvy last night.
Arshavin has been given leave by Zenit to negotiate his own transfer and visited both Arsenal and Tottenham’s training grounds last week before heading off on holiday with his family to the Dominican Republic. Zenit valued him at £23m in the summer, enough to end Spurs’ interest but, having exited the Champions League, they are now keen to be shot of a player who has lost his focus.
“A professional cannot lack the desire to play when he walks on to the field,” Arshavin said earlier this month. “I try and play for Zenit the best I can. But I repeatedly told the president of the club that I didn’t want to remain in the side any longer. If they don’t let me leave, I’ll be listed as a Zenit player, but on paper only.”
Given that he has been substituted in five of his last seven games, there are those who would argue that is already the case. The local Communist Party organisation condemned Arshavin last week for “displaying for sale his body for many months in front of covetous Western clubs”, something, they said, causes “all Communists and patriots to feel shame and disgust”.
Overblown as that criticism may be, Arshavin represents a gamble for Wenger. Although he was superb in helping Zenit to the Russian league title in 2007 and the Uefa Cup in May, it is generally accepted that it was problems with his temperament that made him a late developer, something that has only been highlighted by his recent loss of form.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
he’s crap not worth 10 million
I hope this long-running saga will finally be decided, preferably by a move to an English club!
I hope, Wenger won’t buy him. I’m from Russia, and I know what I’m saying. He’s not what we need. And he’s not worth even £10m. By the way, he doesn’t speak english or french, the latter is the reason why Wenger won’t buy him.
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With that price tag and Wenger in control of Arsenal…. NO WAY.
i think in this price tag we can buy someone who more highly profile player than him,i think da silva what we need to buy not for this man .