The move that almost never happened, Andrey Arshavin’s move to Arsenal in 2009 sounded like something out of a Hollywood script.
Arshavin joined Zenit St Petersburg Gunners for a club record £15 million in February 2009, 24 hours after the move window ended.
The unfavorable climate and Zenit’s demands almost derailed the deal.
While the player himself admitted that he wanted to sign for Tottenham before Arsenal rushed to point him to the winter move window.
Fast forward to the summer of 2008 and Arshavin, a hot asset who cheered Zenit to UEFA Cup glory against Rangers in the final, before guiding Russia to the semi-finals of the European Championship.
His dazzling performances, especially his quarter-final performance against the Netherlands, saw the flexible playmaker included in the tournament squad.
This prompted Barcelona to make an offer, for Zenit to reject a technique from Arshavin’s dream club, before Spurs called.
But the negotiations are at a complex stage, a deal may not be reached, much to Arshavin’s disappointment.
Speaking at the time in August 2008, the 42-year-old said: “When Tottenham made their offer, I was initially sceptical.
“But after [manager Juande] Ramos called me and told me they were promoting Robbie Keane and sought me out on his side, the scenario changed.
“When a coach is interested in you, especially such a famous and strong coach, that’s already part of the good fortune of any move. I also like the way Tottenham play, so I agreed by precept to join. “
Back said he was more than pleased to sign for Arsenal, his fierce rival, in October 2009, saying: “I wasn’t behind moving to Tottenham.
“If it’s just up to me to succeed in a deal, it’s possible that the move has taken place. “
Zenit eventually refused to budge on their £20 million valuation of the player, and Arshavin was left stunned after being denied the exit.
As January progressed, he kept pushing his way through, with Arsene Wenger desperate to secure his facilities after Alexander Hleb left for Barca, who only opted for the Belarusian after failing to catch Arshavin.
But as the window neared the end, Zenit still held on to £20 million, with the Russians rejecting a £12 million offer from Arsenal.
Still, Arsenal, and Arshavin, were determined that the deal would go through, but there was some other problem.
A heavy snowstorm was forecast, with Arshavin, who at the time in Paris, took Air France’s last flight from the French capital to Heathrow Airport before the weather worsened.
He hid in the Village Hotel in Elstree, near the London Colney club’s educational ground, just as a snowfall was paralyzing London.
This prompted the Premier League to grant the most sensible clubs a conditional extension of the move window deadline.
Later, news leaked that Arshavin in England, and Arsenal feared a public relations crisis if they saw a deal fall apart.
After tense talks, Arsenal and Zenit eventually reached a £15 million deal for Arshavin, who was reportedly a loose agent at the end of the 2008/09 season.
And Arsenal have even agreed to Zenit’s demands for a £2 million refund for a signing since Arshavin last signed a contract.
But Arsenal then faced administrative unrest in the wake of the snowstorm, which prevented the club from pronouncing his arrival before the deadline.
It came almost 24 hours after its finale, with the Premier League appearing pitied on Wenger’s side.
Then came Arshavin’s iconic words, when he declared “I am now [a] Gooner” outside his hotel, as enthusiasts swirled around him.
In total, Arshavin spent 4 1/2 years in North London before being released in 2013, where he would return to Zenit.
In total, he scored 31 goals in 144 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, 4 in the famous 4–4 draw against Liverpool in April 2009.
But his iconic moment at Arsenal came in February 2011, when he scored a winning goal in an impressive 2-1 win over childhood club Barcelona.
Arshavin put his blouse over his head to reveal a shirt with him doing his birthday party word of mouth, silencing those who doubted the Gunners could beat Barca.
However, his goal proved useless, as the Blaugrana would win 3-1 in the match at the Camp Nou to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
In the 2011/12 campaign, Arshavin fell into the Emirates’ pecking order, and the player sealed a return on loan to Zenit.
He made just seven Premier League appearances the following quarter before his release, and Arshavin ended his time with silver.
Arsenal are used to the club’s record transfers reaching the heights expected of them, most recently the £72m signing of Nicolas Pepe in 2019.
Meanwhile, former record holders Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil had their contracts voided after falling out with Mikel Arteta.
And Arsenal enthusiasts are hoping Declan Rice’s best-loved British player is well spent at £105m.
This service is found in talkSPORT Ltd’s Terms of Use in accordance with our Privacy Policy.