Andrei Arshavin is so keen to leave Zenit St Petersburg that he claims he will not play for the club next year if they block a transfer.
The Russian playmaker looked set for a move to Barcelona or Tottenham Hotspur in the summer but both moves collapsed over Zenit’s asking price, thought to be more than £20 million.
The 27-year-old believes his club have priced him out of a transfer and has again pleaded with Zenit to allow him to move.
“It all comes down to one thing – for Zenit to set a realistic price,” Arshavin told Sport Express. “If they do that, I will, of course, leave. [If not] I will remain a Zenit player, but only on paper. Next year I don’t want to play here and I will not be playing here.
“That is not an ultimatum, rather a natural reaction to what has happened. I always believed we could come to an agreement on good terms and I could leave the team in a proper manner.
“I have conducted myself reasonably, but the longer things go on the less faith I have. It looks like some kind of conflict is unavoidable, although, as God is my witness, I more than anyone don’t want that to happen.
“Everyone tells me that I have won things having stayed at Zenit, in particular the Super Cup. But this isn’t the most important thing. The most important thing is a feeling of inner fulfilment, and I don’t feel that at all. I also feel that my team-mates are not getting any pleasure out of playing with me by seeing me in this way.”
Arshavin admits he has not been personally following the ups and downs at Tottenham this season.
“If I’m honest I haven’t seen a single [Tottenham] game. I don’t need to – I get a full report of what’s happening there,” he said. “After the epic of my failed transfer in the summer, a lot of people at Zenit are following this team now.”
