Thursday 3rd July 2008
Zenit want Messi + US$32m for Arshavin
Cheeky Zenit St. Petersburg will let Barcelona have hot-property Andrei Arshavin for US$32 million and Lionel Messi.
By Nick Horsburgh
Arshavin looks certain to leave Zenit after a stellar European championship with Russia ignited interest from many of Europe's major clubs.
Zenit are not about to let him go for cheap though.
The idea behind the inclusion of Messi in the deal seems to be a reaction to the very public interest from Barca regarding Arshavin, and to show they will not release the player without a fight.
Several other major clubs are interested in signing 27-year-old Arshavin and there is also suspicion that Zenit may be deliberately leaking deal information to raise the player's price-tag.
Chelsea are also said to be close to making a move, with Chelsea boss Roman Abramovich ready to bring his considerable clout on the Russian football scene into the fray.
With Barca set to face a referendum on the club's board this weekend, if a deal is to be reached, it is likely this could be the week it is confirmed.
