Arshavin Wants To Be Arsenal No10

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Russian International Andrei Arshavin has revealed that he hopes his transfer to Premier League club Arsenal goes through after Zenit St Petersburg rejected a £10million bid from the Gunners recently for the playmaker.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is expected to ask the board at the North London club to make an improved bid of around £12million for Arshavin as he looks to replace his injured captain Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium.

Premiership rivals Manchester City are on standby to make a move for 27-year-old Arshavin, should Arsenal not be able to agree a fee with Zenit for the Russian schemer. It is believed that any new offer by the Gunners could include add-ons to top it up to nearer the £20million valuation of Arshavin by the Russian side.

However, Arshavin seems to have set his sights on a move to the Gunners and has revealed that he would like to wear the No10 shirt at the Emirates, which is currently occupied by William Gallas, who has been strongly linked with a move away from Arsenal this month.

Arshavin told the Daily Telegraph: “I would prefer my present No.10, but in the team where I hope to move it's not vacant. So I'm ready for any number they are going to offer me."

“In some games last season, we [Zenit] played football which was very similar to that of Arsenal.”

Arsenal To Make Improved £12million Offer For Arshavin?

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Arsenal are ready to make an improved offer for playmaker Andrei Arshavin at Russian club Zenit St Petersburg after Zenit confirmed that they have already turned down a £10million offer by the Gunners to bring the EURO 2008 star to the Emirates Stadium.

A Zenit spokesman has confirmed the bid by Arsenal and and also revealed that the North London club are the only team to have made an official approach for the Russian International. Despite recent reports that Premiership rivals Manchester City are hoping to hijack the deal.

Zenit spokesman Alexei Petrov said: “I can confirm that Zenit did get an official offer from Arsenal about Andrei Arshavin. It was rejected as insufficient.

“They offered about £10 million. No new offers have arrived from them since. At the moment, Arsenal are the only club to have approached us about the player.”

Gunners, manager Arsene Wenger is desperate to land a playmaker to the Premier League club this month due to the injury to Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas and is ready to go cap in hand to the Arsenal board in order to make an improved £12million offer for Arshavin this week.

Wenger reportedly sees the signing of 27-year-old Arshavin as the key to keeping hold of Fabregas at the Premier League club, who is understood to be the main transfer target for La Liga giants Barcelona in the summer.

Arshavin had been on the verge of joining Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur last summer, but a fee couldn’t be agreed, with the Russian side understood to have wanted in excess of £20million to allow the schemer to leave for White Hart Lane.

The present financial climate has taken its toll on transfer fees, with Zenit now willing to compromise on the price for their talisman. However, it remains to be seen if £12million will be enough to lure Arshavin to Arsenal, with Zenit understood to still want in the region of £15million for the versatile player.

Arshavin On Verge Of £18million Arsenal Move

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Russian International Andrei Arshavin is on the verge of joining Premier League club Arsenal in an £18million deal, with the Gunners set to beat local rivals Tottenham Hotspur along with Liverpool to the signature of the Zenit St Petersburg playmaker.

27-year-old Arshavin had been on the brink of a move to Spurs in the summer, but this didn’t materialise due to the two clubs not being able to agree on a fee for EURO 2008 star. Now according to Italian paper Tuttosport, Arshavin is set to become an Arsenal player, with a five-year deal in place and a fee of £18million agreed with Zenit to allow the Russian to leave for the Emirates Stadium.

Arshavin’s agent Dennis Lachter has backed up these claims by revealing that Arshavin’s transfer to the Premiership will be confirmed in a few days and that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had tried to sign the player in the summer.

“Andrei is rated by Wenger who wanted him to sign [for Arsenal] last summer. This transfer would please everyone but we must wait a few days for confirmation,” said Lachter.

Wenger is in desperate need of a playmaker at the North London club, with Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas ruled out for four-months through injury and now appears to be on a verge of a signing that the Frenchman hopes can get the Gunners faltering Premier League season back on track.