Arsenal's Arsene Cagey About Arshavin

Andrei Arshavin - Arsene and Arshavin A Game of Two Arves?

Who thought up that terrible heading!?

Is Arshavin going to the Arsenal? Here are two quotes about the Arsenal Arsene Arshavin situation.

First from Maxim Mitrofanov, the General Director of Zenit St Petersburg speaking on Radio Echo Moskvy : "The price for Arshavin is 24 million euros and we are hopeful that Arsenal will make an offer very soon" source Goal

Then from Arsene Wenger : "Yes [I am more likely to buy], but we also have internal solutions so we are not desperate because of that. Now we have a big game in front of us and before January anyway I believe it is more important to focus on our games.

At the moment no one is going out and no one is coming in. That gives you a perfect answer! And I don't feel any need to speak about that [the Arshavin speculation] because at the moment that is not a realistic solution." source Arsenal

So Mitrofanov is "hopeful", Wenger says the solution is not "realistic at the moment". But how about if the price were lowered to something more realistic, would the solution become more realistic too?

Certainly Arshavin wants away, and Zenit have said he can go, but so far everybody has refused the price tags they keep putting on him.

Wenger didn't categorically rule out the possibility of buying Arshavin, he left himself some wiggle room. Arsenal need somebody, and probably a couple of somebodys, if they are to have hope of fighting for the title or the Champions League.

So, as we have been saying for the last 6 years (it certainly feels like six years anyway) - watch this space.

Arshavin for Arsene's Arsenal

Andrei Arshavin - Arshavin Set to Sign for Arsenal

According to the Daily Mail it is Arsenal that are close to signing Andrei Arshavin this January.

Arsenal certainly need to do something to get back in the title race and Arsene Wenger is known as being fairly shrewd in the transfer market, although some of his recent signings have not been the greatest of successes. Arshavin at 27 would be a bit unusual for Wenger, as he generally likes younger players. Arshavin would of course add his European experience to the Arsenal squad and bolster Arsenal's chances in Europe. And there is also the added attraction of another name beginning with Ars to add to Arsenal and Arsene.

(............................................... Photo by 'Irena')

Arshavin said himself last week that he had been in London on business, see Arshavin in London but most people, including us, thought he had been to see Chelsea.

It now turns out that Arshavin was seen at Arsenal's Colney training ground in London on Wednesday, but according to the Daily Telegraph he was also seen at Spurs’ Chigwell training ground on Tuesday. He has however also said that he is keen to play in the Champions League, so in a straight fight between Arsenal and Spurs it is pretty clear that Arsenal would win.

The Daily Mail is confident Arshavin will join Arsenal early next month. They say that Wenger has got the go-ahead to sign Arshavin because of the £37m profit the club made last year.

Andrei Arshavin in London

Andrei Arshavin - on Business Trip to London

Arshavin says he visited London on business

Andrei Arshavin has been to London but not to see the Queen. His 'secret' trip was a business trip and importantly he had permission from his paymasters Zenit St Petersburg.

Arshavin said: "I went to London and it was on a business trip. But I was also lucky to find time for sightseeing in London. Me and my wife Yulia had a long walk around the capital of Britain, saw Trafalgar Square and many other places. I'm very happy about it. When you visit these countries to play football you only see things through the window of the bus."

The clubs in London that could sing him are Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. But since being linked with Spurs in the summer, Arshavin now has said he would like to play for Chelsea or Man Utd. So odds are it's Chelsea who are interested.

He has also been linked to Real Madrid of course, where Juande Ramos (ex Spurs manager) is in charge, but as far as we know Arshavin hasn't been on a business trip to Madrid.

Chelsea might also be selling a few players in January so they may need some fresh blood.

Scolari is said to want either Luis Fabiano or Arshavin.

For the Champions League Draw see Free Online Sport

Arshavin Too Good For Tottenham

Advocaat says Andrei Arshavin is too Good for Spurs or Rangers

Dick Advocaat, Manager of Russian team Zenit St Petersburg has said that Andrei Arshavin is too good to join Tottenham or Rangers. Advocaat says Arshavin should be looking to sign for one of the major European clubs.

“As a manager I would like Arshavin to stay but as a person I realise that he deserves more. But Andrei is too good for Spurs or Rangers. It would be better for him to stay in St Petersburg than to go to London or Glasgow. Tottenham has a fine reputation but I doubt that Arshavin will want to move there.

“I do not want to offend Roman Pavlyuchenko, but in my opinion Arshavin is a much classier player. He needs to move to a really great club. He didn’t show his best form recently. For St Petersburg he doesn’t perform as strongly as he used to.”

According to the Daily Mirror, Anredi Arshavin’s fellow Russian Pavlyuchenko may have to leave White Hart Lane as manager Harry Redknapp looks to do some wheeling and dealing to bring in some money and get the players he wants. Harry is well-known in the UK for being a very clever buyer and seller of players.

Pavlyuchenko has scored five goals since Redknapp took over at Spurs, but rumour has it that the manager is still unconvinced of his quality.

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is also said to have put £20 million price tag on Aaron Lennon, to dissuade former Spurs manager Juande Ramos from luring him to Real Madrid. Ramos was of course famously interested in Andrei Arshavin when he was manager of Spurs, so now that he is at Real Madrid, where presumably cash is not a problem, it is quite probable that he is even more interested in Arshavin.

Ramos said to Sovetsky Sport: "At the moment I can only talk about Real players, and Arshavin is Zenit player. But despite this, I cannot hide the fact that I know Andrei Arshavin very well. He is a brilliant, magical footballer."

Talking to the Sun Arshavin said : “I can confirm that officials from Zenit have begun preliminary negotiations with Real Madrid about my transfer. At the moment there is nothing concrete on the table. Also, there is contact with other Spanish clubs, as well as Italian and English clubs.”

The problem in the past has been the (inflated) price Zenit have been asking for Andrei Arshavin, and now that Ramos is at Real Madrid is seems unlikely that they will deflate this price.

Hopefully Arshavin will sign for somebody in January, as this saga is getting a bit tedious and it would be nice to see Arshavin playing for a top European Club in the Champions League.

Pavlyuchenko Says Get Arshavin

Roman Pavlyuchenko tells Tottenham to get Arshavin in the January transfer window.

Arshavin has of course been linked to just about very time in Western Europe but particularly with Tottenham.The Zenit President recently described Tottenham's price for Arshavin as 'indecent' and Arshavin has said he will go onstrike if Zenit don't sell him. AC Milan dn Real Madrid have also apparently shown an interest, so if that is true then you would have to thinkthat Tottenham would not be favourites to sign him.

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Pavlyuchenko however says he would like Tottenham to 'swoop' (did he really say 'swoop' I wonder?) for Arshavin.

They are rumoured to not be great friends but asked if he would like Arshavin to sign for Spurs in January, Pavlyuchenko told the London Evening Standard: "Yes, of course I would like that.

"I haven't spoken to Arshavin myself, although I know there have been discussions about him moving to another club. All I know is that Arshavin wants to join another good European team."

Pavlyuchenko is improving at Spurs after a slow start following his move from Spartak Moscow and he says his partnership with Comrade Bent is improving.

"It is too early to judge the partnership [with Bent], but in practice matches, we pass a lot to each other, and we seem to able to find our game," added Pavlyuchenko.

Hardly a resounding endorsement in my humble opinion, but he is Russian and they are notoriously tight-lipped.