This might come as a surprise to most Arsenal fans, but it appears as if Arsene Wenger is chasing Russian star Andrei Arshavin. This has now been confirmed by Denis Lakhter, a Zenit Petersburg official.
Wenger, who voiced his concerns over Arshavin's fitness not so long ago, has intensified his interest and it appears as if Arsenal and Barcelona will do battle yet again, but only for a player from another club.
Lakhter told The Sun:
“Arsene Wenger is a cunning fox.
“In the morning he says Arshavin will play all the time at his club and during the day he says he doubts the capabilities of Andrei to play three games in a row at the highest level.
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“But this is a tactic to fool the competition.
“He calls Andrei a Tsar and then tries to deny interest in the player.”
He has also stated in the same interview that Arsenal and Barça remain "the most active."
It is interesting to note that Barcelona are now a club trying to seal transfers all over the place as they feel that on July 6, Joan Laporta (the president) may well be voted out on a referendum of the club members which would impose a temporary moratorium (of around two months) on all transfer activity.
This means that Arsenal's potential transfer activity could very well be determined in the next three days.
Emmanuel Adebayor's situation still looks precarious but it looks as if he is going to stay after Arsenal have demanded a whopping £35 million from his suitors for his services. Alexander Hleb is also someone who might well end up staying because Arsenal are demanding £20 million from whoever is interested in him.
It looks like Wenger is ready to play hard-ball with whoever is interested in his players—and that is fantastic to see for any Arsenal fan.
It also appears as if the boss is now looking to use mind-games in order to sign his new target, but whether he will succeed in his pursuit is something that remains to be seen.
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6 months ago
sorry dude he is not coming. looks like roman the kiss ass abramavich will steal him from us. before the euros he might of came but the moment he had that great game against holland he became known by the money bags of this football world and arsenal would simpley cave in to chelsea or barca when it comes to money. forget about him i have a feeling he will do nothing anyway. look to the likes of Nasri and Bisschoff who will sign for us and maybe with abit luck senna.
6 months ago
It's funny that right above this article there was one saying the exact same thing except that he was going to Chelsea. It's hard to say. If he goes to Chelsea it might have a lot to do with the money. But if he goes to Arsenal it would be a good move for his career and for Wenger. We'll see what happens.
6 months ago
this is a great chance to get some fresh blood into the side we could do with a new player, as i no he is capable of creating and scoring goals. cant see how it could be true as their is a extract stating that he is going to chelsea, chelsea is all about money here its for the great spirit we have at the club. COME ON GUNNERS FOR NEXT YEAR NO.1!!!!!
;;DANNY;)
6 months ago
Though Arshavin is pretty impressive, is he really what the Gunners need? I'm unconvinced that Hleb and Adebayor are staying, and in fact reports today seem to suggest that at least Hleb, if not both, are headed out the door. If the rumors about Nasri signing for Arsenal are true, he will most likely be Hleb's replacement in the midfield, adding yet another midfielder to a burgeoning collection (Denilson, Diaby, Fabregas, Ramsey, Rosicky, that piece of trash Eboue, Gilberto-if he is retained). Arsenal's central defense last season was inconsistent, especially on set pieces. Gallas and Toure, though fine players in their own right, never quite gelled. Senderos has not fulfilled his potential. I would have thought a central defender would be key piece to add. In addition, if Adebayor leaves, they must replace his output, and Arsenal's options at the front are seemingly limited. Eduardo is still recovering from his horrific leg break, Van Persie, while extremely talented, is injury-prone, Bendtner is young and inconsistent, Vela is going into his first premiership season, and Walcott, though probably destined to play more up front, should probably be deployed on the right to replace the ineffectual and horrid Emmanuel Eboue. That seems a lot of uncertainty to leave on the offensive end when the team last year at times wasted a lot of chances and struggled to find the back of the net. Arshavin, though a forward is more of a creative-type, rather than an out and out center forward. If there is no one to bang home his assists, he is not as useful as a traditional center forward might be, especially if Adebayor is sold. Finally, there is the depth issue. Last season one of the things I thought was that the Gunners weren't deep enough at certain positions to deal with the demands of the multiple competitions they were in, and it cost them their grasp on the Prem title, if nothing else. Rather than overpaying for one player, it would be best if the squad depth was strengthened.
This, of course, is on top of the economic issue. Zenit have reportedly asked for over 20 million pounds for Arshavin, which in my humble opinion is a joke. Wenger supposedly was set to spend roughly 20-25 million in the transfer window, and the purchases of Ramsey and Nasri (if completed), would put his expenditures in that ballpark. Obviously, if he sells some players, there may be more taken on board, but the squad has more holes than just one, and Arshavin, while great, can't fix all the flaws.
5 months ago
Arshavin is the best one. Just give him a chance & he'll show his skills...that's why people don't worry about nim.He'll try to do his best - I know him. Arshavin doesn't need money...He wants to progress in professional direction...
BOKHA
5 months ago
danny.;; we need arshavin despite a bid being made from tottenham, but we can out bid them, we are a better team and going to get better football. we need a player of his physique and skill as he could help us demolish everyone and win the title.!!
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