Andrei Arshavin: Do You Think Liverpool or Everton will Win the Race for the £12Million Russian Star?
Uefa Cup winning Zenit St Petersburg star Andrei Arshavin has the Premier League on red alert after his club manager Dick Advocaat announced he expected him to leave this summer. The 26-year-old Russian captain highlighted his abilities with a star performance in the 2-0 final win over Rangers at Eastlands and has been linked to a number of the biggest clubs in England. However, rumours suggest that the two clubs now leading the chase for the Russian star are Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton. Though Manchester City, Tottenham and Arsenal are also thought to be in the hunt.
Arshavin has an excellent pedigree domestically after being named Russian Footballer of the Year in 2006 as well winning a number of awards voted by the Soviet press. He can play on either flank as well as a second striker so would be a perfect acquisition for a number of clubs including Liverpool and Everton.
The Reds need some much needed flair to mount a serious title challenge and a player that is as versatile as Arshavin would fit into Rafa Benitez’s plans perfectly. On the other hand David Moyes has been linked with the Russian for some time and his acquisition would boost a squad that ran out of steam at the final hurdle and perhaps lacked the star quality to compete with the big 4 when they encountered them.
Arshavin has won over 30 caps for his country and has already reached double figures in international goals. He has won a domestic League Cup, a Russian title and now the Uefa Cup so is used to winning trophies. The Russian international has a record of nearly 1 goal in every 4 games (47 goals in 217 League appearances) domestically so could boost the firepower of the club he finally joins. He enjoyed his most prolific season yet last season (10 League goals) so he will sign at the peak of his powers.
His man of the match display in the Uefa Cup final in setting up both Zenit’s goals further emphasized the players’ quality so expect a bidding war from the Premier League big guns soon after Man City already reportedly had a £10million bid rejected. More superb displays at Euro 2008 could see the players price sky rocket so expect a bidding war to commence sooner rather than later.
So would you like to see Arshavin at your club? Is he suitable for the physical nature of the Premier League? Which club would benefit most from his arrival and which Merseyside club do you feel would be the most attractive proposition to the player?
Let’s hear your views.
Tags: Andrei Arshavin, Arsenal, Euro 2008, Everton, Liverpool, Man City, Premier League, Russia
June 4th, 2008 at 12:08
He has already said he would be honoured to play for us the people’s club. He would complement Cahill and Arteta then a strong defensive midfielder and new forward would leave us with a great chance of top 4 next season.
Make it happen Moyes!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:20
As if a class player like that would turn down the mighty reds for the pub team down the road, we are a different class to them and everyone knows it…CL, bigger crowds, top players….what choice is there??
June 4th, 2008 at 12:25
Let me thinkski, who shall I choose - Kirkby Town, or 5 times champions league winners, and playing with Gerrard and Torres? I think I will go to Kirkby - or as Borat says: NOT!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:27
Love the comment about the pub team, brilliant ha ha ha!!!! This guy is superb, only seen him play two or three times but every time he has stood out. Worth every penny of £12m plus isnt this the same team that Skrtel came from so he will no doubt get good reports?
June 4th, 2008 at 12:27
Plus he would have not competition for the left midfield role, it’s not as thought Pennant is any good. World class team with world class players eh. hahahaha
June 4th, 2008 at 12:29
Ermmm im Spurs supporter… not saying he will end up at Tottenham although i would love that…. Butttt i can see him joining a london based club….
June 4th, 2008 at 12:30
Rumour has it Man Utd have alrady agreed a £16m deal for the guy… check out newsnow.co.uk
June 4th, 2008 at 12:37
Well, since red is a girlie colour, and blue is not, it’s quite obivous what he’ll choose… Colours aside, why whould he want to join a two-man team on their way down, instead of a real team on the up?? COYB
June 4th, 2008 at 12:38
well whoever gets him is getting a fab player and cant see liverpool forkin out the 15 mill or more pounds i think he would be worth now.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:39
2 man team? way down? get back on the tourbus Lemmy in your leather trousers and think again!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:40
I think for 15mil he’s on his way to liverpool.
The more money they spend the further away from the title they get.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:42
Why would he join a team that hasn’t won the league for almost 20 years- and continues to waste £50m a season on average players? Stay away from that players graveyard. He should goto Man U where 10 titles have flooded through the gates whilst LFC have done nothing. If it were a choice between the two above he should chose Everton- looking a class act now and really going places- should pip LFC to that 4th next season.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:42
problem is, our remaining 9 players are different class to your 11! Although, clearly Moyes has more money to spend now he has sued Rooney! Kirkby Town forever!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:50
If Liverpool want him, its bye bye Blues
June 4th, 2008 at 12:50
Hmm - Liverpool with 9 class players, thats debatable. how about the remaining garbage.
Degan, Hyypia, Riise, Finnan, Lucas, Pennant, Kewell, Voronin, Kuyt
June 4th, 2008 at 12:53
If Man Utd want him, its bye bye Reds
June 4th, 2008 at 12:58
He will go to The Peoples Club, Watch is Go next season.
We are closer to the title than them. Just look at the right result Table
June 4th, 2008 at 12:59
If Real Madrid want him, its bye bye Mancs! Once a Manc always Madrid!!! viva Ronaldo, everyones favorite little winker!!
June 4th, 2008 at 13:02
Thought Gerrard was the biggest winker in the prem?
Arrr, maybe i’ve miss heared and it wasn’t winker
June 4th, 2008 at 13:09
Best midfielder in the PL by far is Stevie G and you know it! Arshavin and Villa would catapult us into a 2 horse race with United for the title!
June 4th, 2008 at 13:13
Just like after every other (potential) buy in the past has led you to the title, arrrr wellll win it dis year larrrrrrr. specially wen we buy pele and maradona.
Think I’d rather Ronaldo that Stevee G Larrrr. He can’t even father his own children by all accounts.
June 4th, 2008 at 13:13
if mr arshavin has half a brain and the choice was between REDBRIGADE or blues….obviously its a no brainer…
y would he sign for the blues?
to play loser UEFA CUP football?
to play with the worse merseyside team?
errrr…..naaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!
June 4th, 2008 at 13:19
it just shows your complete lack of knowlege when you say he’d join everton over liverpool because liverpool haven’t won the league in 18 year, when was the last time everton won it, when was the last time they won anything, i think he’l go to spurs though
June 4th, 2008 at 13:26
LFC are having a ‘19th Year with no titles’ celebration kit made for next season, and though he would look nice in it he should join a team going places under the steady hand of a decent non chequebook manager.
“Lets spend another £60M and go backwards in the title race playing boring defensive hoofball, Torres to Chelsea LAAAARRR”
June 4th, 2008 at 13:42
It’ll be Manchester City who land him, mark my words, my dad met a postman who delivered a letter from Moscow to a Thai restaurant the other day. What else could it be?
June 4th, 2008 at 13:57
When was the last time cesspool won anything without having all the luck in the world to do so.I think only the arse rival pool for pure luck.I always get the impression that pool supporters are just glory hunters.Oh and the boring football you play,you have over achieved with the player’s in your team.Gerrard,torres,carragher who else is there??
June 4th, 2008 at 13:57
carl..honestly now, did the verbal diarrhoea sickness just occur to you or were you born like that?
seemingly you know jack about football to speak such nonsense…we have the biggest trophy cabinet in england…
still with 18 leagues and 5 european cups..
time is precious mate, do not waste it for me, i am sick having to explain myself over and over again…
true we have not won anything in a long, lon, long time but hey, we can afford that, unlike some that won the league twice in 60 years….and all of a sudden got a massive russian injection of cash and think they are the best in the country…it does nothing but cracks me up..
June 4th, 2008 at 13:58
apart from the champions league which we are masters at now
June 4th, 2008 at 14:03
Man city are a load of rubbish and bought thier position ure goin down next year, arsharvin to everton COYB
June 4th, 2008 at 14:08
Cup competitions blah blah blah- At the end of the day you are ‘billy no prems’- and when ManU win the title next year they will draw level- so even that record is fading.
Titles is everything- paint all the busses you like
Lets face it reds are hungry as a junkyard dog for titles- but you are a million miles away and no amount of money being thrown at the problem is changing things really is it?
I reiterate- EFC are the most improved side in the Prem and on much less expenditure are very close to LFC, two more astute buys should see an overhaul.
The Big 3 will only get stronger for reasons of either good management or cash- your real fight is with EFC to hang onto that 4th. Benitez style of football and wild lashings of the chequebook will get you nowhere.
June 4th, 2008 at 14:15
Already a done deal with Arsenal.
June 4th, 2008 at 15:17
No thanks. We already have Modric with Capel and Giovanni on the way too. COYS
June 4th, 2008 at 15:23
REDALERT Says:
“we have the biggest trophy cabinet in england…”
Congratulations, Shame its empty - lol
June 4th, 2008 at 16:46
HE WILL SIGN FOR CELTIC SO WILL SAHA
June 4th, 2008 at 17:38
hahaha OI MUFC so how come u wanted torres for 4 years and liverpool got him? im puzzled u can call liverpool scum crap what ever u want but loads of the biggest names would choose liverpool over united.well its liverpool the greatest team ever
June 4th, 2008 at 18:52
once manure always manure. full of crap as usual
June 5th, 2008 at 15:32
Have all you kopites got your phrasebook and dictionary out to write all these replys? Red scousers go the pub.. blue scousers go the match.. COYB !!
June 19th, 2008 at 13:22
The only arshavin Everton are going to get is the one they have already have .We all know about Moyes and his unnatural fixation with removin bodily hair in the nether regions.Thats why he can’t sit still on the touchline.
June 22nd, 2008 at 08:41
“Congratulations, Shame its empty - lol”
Yeah, 5 Euro Cups, 18 league titles, 7 FA Cups and 7 League Cups. Shame it’s so empty.
Still, not as empty as Manure’s…LOL
But seriously, I would love Arshavin to come to LFC, but I doubt the yanks will fork out £12m for anyone but Gareth bloody Barry…