Saturday, 15th December, 2012
Arsenal have offered Zenit St. Petersburg the chance to buy Andrei Arshavin for just €4M, according to Russian daily Izvestia, but Luciano Spalletti’s men have decided against pursuing the signing.
Arshavin appears to be surplus to requirements at the Gunners, who are looking to offload a player who has not started a single Premier League match this season, although he has featured six times from the bench.
And so Arsene Wenger’s men contacted Zenit, the team with which the attacking midfielder began his career.
The Russian champions though are not interested in signing Arshavin, leaving the Gunners looking for another club prepared to send them a fee for the 31-year-old in January, whose contract at the Emirates Stadium runs out next summer.
Arshavin joined Arsenal in 2009, after impressing the Gunners with his performances for Russia at Euro 2008.
He enjoyed a brief spell back at Zenit on loan during the first half of this year.
It remains to be seen where the technically gifted player may head to next, but a return to his homeland looks the most likely option, at a club other than Zenit.
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Arshavin has made two appearances in the Champions League this season, both from the bench, while he has started two games in the League Cup, which Arsenal exited on Tuesday to League Two Bradford City.
Take a look at what the tipsters at Inside Bet. are tipping this weekend.
