Transfer Debate: Where To For Andrei Arshavin?

They don't come much more fickle than in the media. Midway through Euro 2008, praise was being lavished on Andrei Arshavin; he was being heralded as the star of the tournament and a world class talent. The minute the little magician failed to perform just once - against eventual winners Spain in the semi-final - it was as if he was almost instantly forgotten by the footballing world. There have been transient links to some of Europe's elite but they have, by and large, been denied by Zenit themselves.

The only major club to register an offer thus far is Barcelona - the side Arshavin has supported since he was a boy - and as it was almost half of what the Russians were asking for their prize asset, it was rejected. Since then, no concrete interest was lodged by any party until Tottenham Hotspur, who have recently contacted Zenit as they line up a possible replacement for vice-captain Robbie Keane, should he be tempted away from White Hart Lane to Liverpool. The interest comes despite firm declarations from the Arshavin camp that he would only move to England for one of the top four sides as to guarantee Champions League football, something he can look forward to with Zenit this season, if he stays with the club. However, he has made it clear that he is ready to leave his hometown club in order to challenge himself in one of Europe's major leagues. It is not a move motivated by money, but ironically it is the club's inflexibility surrounding the asking price that is most likely keeping many clubs at bay.

Zenit have stood firmly by their €30 million valuation of the 27-year-old, with Barcelona's rejected bid of €15 million the only one to have been lodged so far. The Blaugrana instead spent the money on Aliaksandr Hleb, a player of the same age and similar position to Arshavin. Though Hleb is more of a midfielder than a forward, it suffices to say that his signing has ruled out Arshavin's dream move to Barça, who will at the most be in the market for a striker if Samuel Eto'o secures an exit. Their bitter rivals Real Madrid are the only European heavyweight that held an interest in signing the player before he rose to prominence at Euro 2008, but they have been otherwise distracted with their pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, and snapping up Rafael van der Vaart appears to be their contingency plan. Moving out of Spain and into Italy, there has been no official interest from the Calcio world since Roma's brief flirtation with the forward prior to Euro 2008. Milan and Juventus have finished their dealings for the summer, and while Arshavin could conceivably fill the creative void between midfield and attack for Internazionale, Jose Mourinho has publicly questioned the player's consistency at the highest level; instead preferring Frank Lampard, Marek Hamsik or Ricardo Quaresma - seemingly in that order - to fill the role instead.

There remains an outside possibility that Roma may reignite their interest in the Russian international, possibly to replace Amantino Mancini, but is not as much of a genuine wide player as his predecessor, and Real Madrid's Julio Baptista is the Giallorossi's number one target for the attacking midfield berth, as he is likely to be available at a better price for the somewhat cash-conscious capital club. And that brings us directly to Arsenal, whose fans have urged Arsene Wenger to replace Hleb with Arshavin who, as mentioned, is a player of similar mould and age, but far more fruitful in providing end product. On paper, there is little argument against making a move for the player but Wenger, like Mourinho, has not subscribed to Arshmania, despite the player's agent even hinting Arsenal could be the club for him. The Russian connection has seen a move to Chelsea mooted by the English press, but the club have made no offer and are pursuing Real Madrid star Robinho as what chief executive Peter Kenyon has hinted may be the final piece of the puzzle. Champions Manchester United are only making one purchase this summer, if that, and it has been widely documented that it will be a striker, most likely Dimitar Berbatov of Tottenham Hotspur. While Arshavin could, like Steven Gerrard, prove an invaluable foil for Fernando Torres in Liverpool's attacking set-up, the Reds have prioritised the capture of another Spurs star, in vice-captain Robbie Keane This incestuous transfer merry-go-round has resulted in Spurs being the only club interested and it is one that Andrei would not, if we are to go by the word of his representatives, be willing to leave Zenit for this summer.

With the saga now looking to be at its most convoluted, surely from here, we can only move closer towards a resolution. The player has intimated that he gracefully accepted Zenit's rejection of Barcelona's bid as it was not up to scratch. However, he is now showing signs of frustration as the press continue to report that he is pining for an exit and upset with the steep asking price. Just how much is he worth? Some have questioned whether he could survive in the top leagues, despite his scintillating showings at both the Euros and in the UEFA Cup final, no less. A Zenit stay becomes more likely with each passing day, but is it in their best interests to keep hold of a player that is ready, willing and eager to leave? They have thus far remained publicly compliant with the notion of selling but stubborn in lowering the price on the little man's head. It is, as it has been with superstars like Frank Lampard, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robinho, almost impossible to tell whether the player will force an exit in the coming weeks or not. He would certainly benefit from a move to one of Europe's elite, so a move to Tottenham, though in a superior league with players of an arguably superior calibre playing alongside him, would not be too much greater a challenge than that he is currently undertaking at Zenit. Though his preferred destination as he initially stated, La Liga is all but out of the question and though Inter are crying out for a player in his mould, Mourinho's preferences look like leaving him with England as his only option. The majority of the Big Four have their sights set elsewhere and Arsenal, at least currently, appears to be the only conceivable destination for the 27-year-old. However, they are notoriously stringent, and one club who would have little compunction in paying whatever Zenit demand is Chelsea. If Robinho does indeed stay at Real Madrid, might Roman Abramovich get his wish of both attractive, exciting football and a Russian contingent all in one?

Sulmaan Ahmad