Arsenal on verge of £10million Andrei Arshavin signing - exclusive

Euro 2008 star Andrei Arshavin was last night on the verge of signing for Arsenal in a cut-price £10million deal.

The 27-year-old playmaker arrived for talks with Gunners chiefs at London's Landmark hotel with his wife Yulia at lunchtime yesterday.

Arsene Wenger is ready to offer Arshavin a three-year deal as his club Zenit St Petersburg concede they can no longer command the unrealistic £20m they had been demanding with the player's desperation to quit the club so well documented.

Zenit last night confirmed talks were underway and Arshavin's agent Dennis Lachter told sport.co.uk: "It's like that famous movie 'show me the money' (Jerry Maguire). It's just like that. The appetite of Zenit is huge. If they realise times have changed then the Andrei move (to Arsenal) could be very possible."

Arshavin had even threatened to buy himself out of his contract earlier this week because Zenit wanted so much for him even though he is not eligible for the latter stages of the Champions League.

Signing Arshavin will finally appease frustrated Arsenal fans who had been angered by Wenger's stubborn loyalty to his youngsters and his refusal to dip into the millions available to him at the Emirates.

Arshavin's versatility will also be a massive asset to the north Londoners as he can play as a second striker, an attacking midfielder or as a winger - all areas in which Arsenal have been weakened by injury.

He was a key player as Zenit stormed to the Russian League title and the UEFA Cup last year and was nominated for European Footballer of the Year.

Read our Mirror.co.uk Andrei Arshavin profile

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