Formal offer for Arshavin

Asked about a possible summer transfer of Zenit Saint Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27), Zenit sports director Konstantin Sarsania has confirmed in an interview with Russian sports paper Sovietski Sport that Barcelona has launched a first bid:

"Barcelona has made a formal proposal to Zenit for the transfer of Arshavin. But we will only discuss it once Andrei returns to Zenit." The paper claims that Zenit would agree on letting Arshavin go for 15 million euro°.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo even claims that an agreement between all parties was already found back in April. The deal will be made public after the European championships. Barcelona would pay Zenit 15 million euro°.

Since Barcelona talked directly to the player, the only remaining problem could be that agents or intermediaries show up. Arshavin reconfirmed yesterday to the paper that he would like to join Barcelona and that the Liga is his favourite league.

Asked about the rumours linking Arsahavin with a summer move to Barcelona, Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano admitted in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona has been interested in the player for a while now:

"It's true that we are interested in Arshavin. But our interest hasn't started recently since we're already following the player for several months in a discrete way. We watched him against Bayer Leverkusen back in April and then we thought his best position was in the centre. But now it has been proven that he can play on the wing and that's exactly the profile we're looking for. But since all teams want him now, I don't think it will be easy to sign him."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that during a yesterday meeting of the so-called Comisión Delegada (a club committee consisting of the most important board members and the highest ranked management representatives) the transfer strategy for the next weeks has been established.

Arshavin is, together with Adebayor, the main objective but Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain won't move until Russia has been eliminated from the Euro. The club would nevertheless already have information about the transfer fee asked by Zenit and the salary asked by the player.

Barcelona would already have been following Arshavin for several months, namely since Zenit manager Dick Advocaat talked about the player with Barcelona assistant coach Johan Neeskens which lead Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard to ask the club for scouting reports on the Russian.

Dennis Lachter, the presumed agent of Arshavin, denied during an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that he has already talked with Barcelona: "It's very unlikely that Arshavin will continue with Zenit. At this moment we have received seven proposals and we'll see what will happen after the Euro. Despite everything that has been talked about in the last days, I didn't hear anything from Barcelona."

In an interview with Spanish television station La Sexta, Lachter said: "The time has come for the player to look for new challenges and this could be his big chance to leave Russia. And it doesn't only have to do with money or with great clubs. That's important but it's also important who his coach will be, how the coach wants him to play, where the coach will put him, which other players are there in the squad for his position. Andrei will take all of that into consideration.

Nobody has called me for now, not even Barcelona. And Zenit wants to hold on to the player since he's their most important man. They won't have any problem to offer him the same as the big clubs will do. A transfer to Barcelona will mainly depend on the interest of Barcelona and the will of the player to play there.
If he leaves, I think the transfer fee could be around 25 million euro°."

Russian player's agent Alexei Safonov gave his view in an interview with Russian radio station Business FM: "Zenit has received more than five proposals from England and France, but Arshavin wants to go to Spain cause the football there is suited for him. His transfer price is around 20 million euro°."

Both main Catalan sports papers meanwhile agree that it looks like the Barcelona attacking line could next season well look like (from right to left): Messi - Adebayor - Arshavin.

Read more:
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