Zenit Drops Arshavin Price

Russian club Zenit St Petersburg has dropped the price of their talisman Andrei Arshavin.

Zenit were initially asking around 26 million euros for the player, but after both Barca and Tottenham dropped interest because of the high price tag, the club has now decided to drop the price. However the price is thought to be dropped primarily because of Arshavin going on strike and Zenit's poor performance in the league thus far.

Zenit has played 17 league games this season and sits in seventh place, 11 points behind league leaders Rubin Kazin. Club coach Dick Advocaat has indicated that Arshavin's case is affecting the performances of the team.

Arshavin himself expects everything to be settled this week and has stated that where he will move depends on one million dollars.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has stated that Arshavin is just one of the options considered as a replacement for Ronaldinho on the left side of attack, while Tottenham Hotspur coach, Juande Ramos, has been interested in the player throughout the transfer season and sees the player as the replacement for Robbie Keane who recently transfered to Liverpool.

Where will Arshavin go? Only time will tell.

Barca Makes Official Arshavin Approach

After expressing a desire to play for Barcelona by the player himself and his close associates at Zenit St Petersburg, Barcelona has not let the player's words go unheard, as now it has been made known that an official inquiry has been made regarding the player.
This news somewhat confirms that Emmanuel Adebayor is very close to a Milan switch. Recent reports by the player's agent has revealed that the Togolese striker's deal with Milan is about 80 percent complete. Barcelona were apparently keen on bringing the lanky striker in, but the player has expressed more interest in a move to the Rossoneri, which could see him join his old teammate Mathieu Flamini, who joined Milan earlier this transfer season on a free transfer.
Zenit's sporting director Konstantin Sarsaniya has stated that the Catalans have made a formal proposal for Arshavin, and that they will begin talks when the player returns to Zenit from his international duties with Russia.
Many Barca fans are craving to see this stumpy striker at the Camp Nou, as he is seen as an ideal replacement for Deco, who is likely to leave Barcelona shorty for either Chelsea or Inter according to reports.
Arshavin is a very versatile player and can play many positions including second striker, winger and attacking midfielder. With him in the lineup, Barca could experiment with various formations to utilize him to help the team perform to the best of their ability. Arshavin is a good player with good qualities, but for me the best quality he possesses, is his desire to play for Barcelona. Without desire nothing is achieved.