Andrei Arshavin move to Zenit takes another turn

By: j | January 27th, 2009

With the clubs announcing yesterday that they are in agreement of the transfer price that would send Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Andrei Arshavin to the Arsenal of the English Premier League, the deal should should be nearing completion. However in another chapter of the ongoing saga, the salary demands of the Russian international are apparently slowing the final stroke of the pen.

Per the club web-site, they issued the following statement:

“Negotiations between FC Zenit and Arsenal over the transfer of Andrei Arshavin continue. Both clubs have agreed on the figure that reflects the real market value of the player.

Currently the main obstacle for completing the deal became Arshavin’s personal requirements. The player and his agent request such wages, that the Arsenal management is not ready to offer. And at present time Arsenal can consider paying Arshavin these wages only at the expense of the transfer cost.

In his turn, Arshavin, who doesn’t intend to lower his demands on the conditions of his personal contract, is slowing down the negotiation process, thus putting the achieved agreement between the clubs at risk.

FC Zenit confirms its willingness to complete the deal. The club is continuing negotiations by offering one more alternative. It is possible to lower the transfer cost, if Arshavin pays compensation for canceling the 4-year agreement”

Furthermore Zenit director Maxim Mitrofanov told Zenit Radio:

“The amount would have been increased by decreasing the player’s wages but because the player didn’t budge, neither us nor the Londoners found it possible to sign a contract for the agreed price.”

Something is amiss with this deal because if Andrei Arshavin pushed for this move without a firm understanding that Arsenal would come up to his salary demands he has made a grave error.