According to Italian media TuttermercatoWeb Lazio approached Arsenal with a cut price £7 Million bid for Andrey Arshavin, but will Arsene Wenger let the striker go…?
To utter the name Arshavin a few years back, as well as getting strange looks and possibly being asked to repeat yourself, most would bubble with excitement about the prospects and possibilities the rosy cheeked Russian had to offer.
Unfortunately however, it seems like a lifetime ago when, in 2009, Andrey Arshavin buried the ball so deep into the Liverpool net, few thought Pepe Reina would even bother fishing it out. Arsenal.com voted it the ‘Gunners 9th Greatest Goal’ and it would be hard to contest that it wasn’t a finish way up there with Bergkamp’s blinder past Shay Given in ’02.
Someone asked me recently, ‘Does Arshavin still tell the crowd to Shhh when he scores?’ The famous fingers on lips was a trademark of the Russian striker and inevitably followed a stunning goal. The more I thought about it, the more I realised I had to be honest and say ‘I cant remember’. Arshavin’s goal record and indeed his play in general is getting a bit embarrassing for Gunners supporters.
Now I am actually still a fan of Arshavin to an extent, I believe that although dwindling, he hasn’t totally lost what he once had, I mean it’s not a patch on the cringes that Chelsea fans endure whenever Torres gets the ball. Whatever you think of Arshavin however, playmaker or not, it cannot be contested that the fire that once existed is no doubt starting to flicker.. Some say his days as a number one striker are numbered, but are they?
Back in Feb 2009, a bright faced Andrey Arshavin joined Arsenal for £15 million, Arsenals biggest purchase to date. Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘Wenger? BUYING A PLAYER?!’ Yes it was almost unheard of for the puffer coat clad Frenchmen to stick his hands in his pockets and splash the cash, but he did it all those years ago.
It recently came to light that the Italian giants Lazio were more than interested in the striker, and talks of a £6 – 7 million pound offer were amassing. To sell a player for a price cut of over half the sum they were bought for is a rarity indeed, but to sell a player almost three years exactly since they were bought for the largest sum the team have ever forked out must be a real kick in the teeth. Football supporters began to debate this possible move, and even Gunners fans were beginning to warm to the idea of letting Arshavin go, his glory days obviously over.
It has been confirmed however, from an interview with Arsenal.com, that Wenger has no plans on selling Andrey Arshavin. ‘I don’t want to lose Arshavin’ he told the site, going on to say ‘..we cannot lose players of that quality, it is too difficult.’ This may come as a shock to some, but not to others, Wenger after all is renowned for his lack of activity in both buying and selling players.
The debate now exists of what the future holds for Arshavin, will him and returned legend Theirry Henry shower the league with beautiful goals? Or will the Russian continue to underwhelm and disappoint fans?
I guess we will all just have to wait and see, and as for Wenger, Arsenal fans will just have to hope that behind that long coat and sultry expression, he has a cunning plan..
