Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed that talks are taking place with Arsenal concerning a deal for Andrei Arshavin.
Russian playmaker Arshavin has been looking to leave the Uefa Cup holders for months, but no club was prepared to meet Zenit’s asking price of £20million.
He impressed at Euro 2008 and was linked with Arsenal’s North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, along with Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid after the tournament.
However, in recent weeks, speculation concerning a possible January move to Arsenal has increased after he was given permission to discuss his departure from Zenit.
Recent reports suggest that the clubs valuations of the player are still some way apart, though Zenit have told Sky Sports News that they are confident of agreeing a deal to sell the playmaker to Arsenal this month.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has been looking to reinforce his squad after losing skipper Cesc Fabregas for several months due to a knee injury.
He also confirmed that availability for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League would not be an issue, with Arshavin unable to feature in the quarter-final against Roma after appearing in the group stage for Zenit.
