Uefa Cup winning Zenit St Petersburg Captain Andrei Arshavin has been given a 1-week deadline to seal a move to the Premier League or he will be remaining in his homeland next season. His club have stated that unless a deal is sorted this week he will not be moving this summer. That means interested Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool, Everton, Man City and Spurs will have to move quickly if they are serious about signing the Russian international.
Arshavin has an excellent pedigree domestically after being named Russian Footballer of the Year in 2006 as well winning a number of awards voted by the Soviet press. He can play on either flank as well as a second striker so would be a perfect acquisition for any number of clubs. Liverpool need some much needed flair to mount a serious title challenge and a player that is as versatile as Arshavin would fit into Rafael Benitez’s plans perfectly. On the other hand the Gunners also need reinforcements, particularly if Alexander Hleb departs as is expected. David Moyes has been linked with the Russian for some time and his acquisition would boost a squad that ran out of steam at the final hurdle and perhaps lacked the star quality to compete with the big 4 when they encountered them. Mark Hughes is reportedly in the hunt for the player and is perhaps the most serious of the sides bidding for his signature whilst Spurs continue to enforce their squad under Juande Ramos.
Arshavin has won over 30 caps for his country and has already reached double figures in international goals. He has won a domestic League Cup, a Russian title and now the Uefa Cup so is used to winning trophies. The Russian international has a record of nearly 1 goal in every 4 games domestically so could boost the firepower of the club he finally joins. He has yet to feature at Euro 2008 after being suspended for his country’s first 2 games which has significantly weakened their chances in the tournament.