Arshavin finally in Arsenal

It seems that one of the longest transfer sagas in football history is over and that Andrei Arshavin is set to join Arsenal after the negotiations that lasted incredible 34 days. Even though the clubs have agreed a deal and the player also agreed a contract with the Gunners, the transfer was completed minutes before the transfer deadline and it still needs a confirmation from the Premier League in order to be valid. However, the deal will be official on Tuesday and Arshavin will finally become a Gunner.

The speculations about his future have started right after the Euro 2008 finished and everybody expected the Russian playmaker to leave Zenit in the summer. When that didn’t happen it became clear that Arshavin will leave in January but the deal with Arsenal almost collapsed near the end of the transfer window. The two clubs agreed a deal but Zenit demanded from Arshavin to pay back half of the signing fee he had received when signing a contract with the Russian club and that severely jeopardized the deal. Finally, everything came to place in the nick of time and I think that Arsenal fans will be delighted with the fact that Wenger finally managed to sign a world class player.

It now remains to be seen how much the Russian player will be able to help the Gunners, but if you have seen him play at least once, then you probably know the answer. Wenger’s side struggled for creativity without injured Fabregas, Walcott and Rosicky and Arshavin will bring them exactly what they need. He has the ability to change the course of the match and to unlock opposition defences with a single touch and that is something not one of Wenger’s players can do at the moment. He is the player who has no problems playing under pressure and he will complement Adebayor in every aspect of the game. The Russian forward has a great eye for the pass and he is also a joy to watch, which means that he would fit right into Arsenal’s style of play. The fans will certainly be delighted to watch such a great player in Arsenal’s shirt and you can just imagine Arshavin’s motivation to show all the doubters that he is more than capable of playing in the Premiership. I am eagerly awaiting his debut for the Gunners and am confident that he will succeed in the best league in the World.

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