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News, Views and Comment On Newcastle United Football Club By Ed Harrison, A Proud Geordie And Lifelong Fan

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Chelsea No Longer Interested In Arshavin

July 6th, 2008 by Ed Harrison · 41 Comments

New Chelsea manager Phil Scolari has turned down the chance sign the 27 year-old Russian play-maker, Andrei Arshavin.

andrei-arshavin-2.jpg

Andrei Arshavin - Chelsea not interested

The News Of The World (NOTW)  :D   is reporting the Blues had been linked with a move for the Zenit St Petersburg star.

The price now quoted for the Russian is down to £12M, and just after the Euro 2006, that price was at £20M, so perhaps reality is setting in, as the hype of Euro 2008 goes down.

Newcastle could have had Andrei for around £8M in January, and perhaps if Newcastle are still interested, and one of the bigger clubs doesn’t make a move, we may be still in with a chance for the Russian, though that’s unlikely.

roman-pavlyuchenko-56.jpgyuriy-zhirkov-78.jpg

Pavlyuchenko and Zhirkov - two great players

If we do make a move for him, we could also move for one or two of his Russian team-mates, like left wing-back Yuriy Zhirkov, who is just 24, and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, who is just 26.

Scolari has just signed Portugal midfielder Deco, who he knows well from managing the Portuguese national side, and he seems to have given up on any proposed deal for the 27-year-old play-maker.

The NOTW quotes a Chelsea insider as saying:

“Arshavin will not be coming to Chelsea. He was on the radar for a while but it won’t be happening.”

“All those reports saying he was coming to London last week were rubbish. It didn’t happen — and neither will any transfer.”

Barcelona and Arsenal are still said to be interested in signing the player, and Arshavin himself would like to go to the Spanish side, which he has supported since he was a child growing up in St. Petersburg.

Zenit’s manager and former Glasgow Rangers’ boss Dick Advocaat has said he won’t play for the club again until his future is sorted out.

Advocaat said:

“The wish of a player who is still young to go and shine at a foreign club is very understandable.”

“We can’t keep him if someone offers good money.”

Maybe we’re dreaming that we may still be in with a chance for Arshavin - but that would be only if other clubs pull out - we’ll see.

Comments welcome.

Tags: Newcastle News · Transfer News and Rumours










41 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Geordiho // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:15

    This Chelsea insider is probably the same as the Newcastle insider :-)

  • 2 Albert Stigys // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:16

    Never Gonna Happen Ed!

  • 3 Ben_BKK // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:22

    Well you would expect the hype to go down between Euro 2006 and Euro 2008 :P

    I doubt we have much chance of signing him now, but if all the big clubs drop out, we could still land him :D

  • 4 Cloudstrife // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:26

    ok then. forget Arshavin. get the other russians in. see the wordplay? ;-)

  • 5 xfer // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:33

    Its hard to say, anything can happen. Alls still not lost, yet.

  • 6 zero cool // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:41

    Remember back to the day BEFORE King Kev signed Wor Shearer. Things still impossible?

  • 7 Ericles // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:44

    Another fantasy gone down the tubes. Another missed opportunity. Too many cooks in the kitchen at NUFC now!.

  • 8 Danny // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:44

    What Morinho said about him may be true, but that doesn’t make him a bad player, it makes him a player that needs to get his fitness and mentality trained.
    Morinho doesn’t like him cause he cant play 4 games in 12 days….bah, just work him a bit then and he’ll be fine..

    In addition tho, i’ll be surprised if we sign a player over 24…
    P.S The Euros was this year Ed, not ‘06…

  • 9 daiv // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:51

    We’ll get him if the other dozen clubs in front of us don’t want him. Hardly likely. Lets get some of his team mates in for a lot less.

  • 10 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 9:59

    Andrei Arshavin - Opportunity beckons again!

  • 11 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:03

    Yuriy Zhirkov & Roman Pavlyuchenko would be good acquisition too.

  • 12 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:13

    Obafemi Martins was quoted saying he would find it hard to turn down Arsenal if they attempted to sign him.

  • 13 cupiddstunt // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:16

    Watched Asharvin in the 2008 Euros and thought he was an extremely lazy arse in the midfield, expected the ball to came to him and not have to go looking for it.

    Do we really have a squad good enough to carry a right lazy arse?? And at 27 is he too old to change and become a working midfielder?

    In Russia’s last game he was expected to step up and be counted and he went awol I’m not too sure he is for us at the moment, I think I would prefer to see a younger game hungry player who is prepared to give graft as well as guile something along the lines of a Rooney or Teves for out and out graft. When your midfield is giving that type of output then they make things happen without even touching the ball just by running down the opposition.

  • 14 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:22

    Russia’s last game was against Spain and Spain went on to be the Champion of Euro 2008. Spain is the team of the tournament; tactics wise & fitness wise.

  • 15 valle // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:24

    Danny… Im quite sure that it was Sir Alex who made those comments.

  • 16 Davies // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:30

    If managers like Mourinho, Wenger and Scolari see that this player is not good enough for their teams, alarm bells should start to ring. He only seems to be fit enough to play a match a week (on average).

    I thought initially that the Spanish players were keeping him locked up, but as the game went on, I realised he was just not keeping up with the game.

    I would imagine he’s great for one game a week, but for teams with UEFA or Champions league campaigns to get through, I reckon he’ll be missing some matches.

    On a lighter note, after we crash out of the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, we’ll be in a position to offer him one game a week. Maybe that will be an appetizer for him…..

  • 17 Davies // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:31

    Valle, a few managers have said things along the same lines.

  • 18 Davies // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:32

    Egar, Martins’ comments have been taken out of context. He has also been respectful towards Newcastle in his responses in the same interview.

  • 19 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:41

    Mourinho, Wenger and Scolari are not exactly infallable.

    Mourinho ~ Juan Veron, nuff said.
    Wenger ~ preference with younger players and missing out on the experience some seasoned players would provide to his team, costs Arsenal a couple of EPL titles.
    Scolari ~ well Portugal isn’t the Champion of Euro 2008.

  • 20 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:45

    Probably so, Davies.

  • 21 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:50

    They’re just not prepared to spend too much on a player his age…No more than £10m, probably between £6/10m…Kinda like what he was ‘worth’ when we were tryin’ to get him for in jan etc?..

  • 22 craig // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:50

    love to see all three at newcastle but Arshavin is not worth 20m

  • 23 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 10:55

    Pogrebnyak over Pav, please!..& Zhirkov, but not for silly money!..

  • 24 Leo // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:03

    yeah same i would also love to see all 3 at the toon but its hugely unlikely

  • 25 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:04

    Spot on, Punk Skunk. They’re just not prepared to spend too much on a player his age.

  • 26 Punk Skunk // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:08

    Aye Egar, zenit are tryin’ to take the proverbial…

  • 27 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:11

    Can’t blame them for trying, can you?

  • 28 WIGAZ // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:11

    Dont think we’ve got a chance in gettin him! he wont go to man u, they aint sellin ronaldo he’s out for 3 months after having ankle op, good news for opening day! chelsea dont want him, arsenal doubt his fitness so that leaves barca, they dont care about stamina or workrate, it’s all about the name! i would love him at the toon as he is just what we need, another pedro, but i think aimar is more realistic & at 1 year older a hell of a lot cheaper! please prove me wrong KK & get him bought!

  • 29 KEVIN BROCK & HIS SOCK // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:15

    Maybe he will go to Barca - they still haven’t got rid of Ronaldinho, Eto’o and Gudjonnsen - when they do they may make a move.
    However Arsenal won’t match his wages in my opinion - to move he’ll be after at least 70k a week - considering he’s on about 50k now…
    That full back would be a great signing though - but i think he’ll end up somewhere HUGE like Real or Inter

  • 30 Cloudstrife // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:22

    he’s NOT old. he’s only 27. Chelsea just paid 8 mil for a 30 yr old. given Deco has proven himelf on the greater club stage but if Arsh inproves his fitness 10 mil could be a bargain.

  • 31 1987 // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:26

    ranieri signed veron

  • 32 Egar // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:28

    Some players can be “old” at 25 and some can be “young” at an older age. Cameroon’s Roger Milla comes to mind at the highest level.

  • 33 big pea ov the weab // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:35

    if no one had a doubt about him one ov those big clubs who were interested would of already snaped him up first chance all these clubs seem to be pulling out one by one somethings a bit fishy if u ask me like

  • 34 Spyro // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:39

    Arshavin for around £20 million is just not worth it, i once said he was, but that was a spur of the moment comment.

  • 35 mozza // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:45

    what wenger and morinho says about him is food for thought though, belta player but questionable fitness and lifestyle, saying that i’d be jumping through hoops if we signed him so who am i kidding

  • 36 Spyro // Jul 6, 2008 at 11:50

    AC Milan President

    “I can say that Ronaldinho rejected an offer from Manchester City, who were proposing twice as much as Milan.”

    LOL! Thaksin is practically shovelling money at his targets and still getting rejected.

  • 37 Derdi4Toon // Jul 6, 2008 at 12:47

    i think we can stop talking about Arshavin now … he won’t come 110% for sure, and the news that many “top” managers saying “negative” things about him is just fishy. in Euro 2008 there are still plenty of younger players who can add something to our squad. too bad that Zarate has finally left EPL ….

  • 38 Ed Harrison // Jul 6, 2008 at 13:20

    Derdi4Toon - agree - there are lots of good youngsters who can (will) help us out big time next season. :D

  • 39 Tom_Toon // Jul 6, 2008 at 13:25

    Ed - Move one we wont get any of these players.

  • 40 Big Dave // Jul 6, 2008 at 16:02

    I would like to see him come & I think there is a chance of it happening when all the so called big teams fall away. and I dont think his fitness would be a problem, when Barton comes back they could make him Arse shavings fitness coach get him out doing a spot of running the old carrot and the stick way and with Barton haveing the stick im sure Arshavin would be one of the fittest and quickest player in the PL

  • 41 Owen_10 // Jul 6, 2008 at 19:19

    why are all arshavin storis now getting reported on here? this story has nothing to do with newcastle!