Arshavin to quit football

[GSK_AFC]

Andrey Arshavin has grown do disillusioned during his final season at Arsenal that he is ready to quit football altogether when his contract expires this summer.

The 32-year-old has two-months to run on his current deal which he signed after joining the Gunners from Zenit St Petersburg for a club record £15m in February 2009.

It is understood that Arshavin, who was hugely popular among fans after his initial move to the Emirates, will not be offered a new deal.

And now it has been revealed the Russia international has grown so disillusioned with both the absence of viable alternatives and the game itself that he is contemplating walking away altogether according to The Evening Standard.

It is believed that Arshavin split from his wife Julia around the time she gave birth to their third child — a boy — last year. He is still thought to be in regular contact for the sake of their family but is now dating an Englishwoman and spending most of his time in Hampstead.

Arshavin is keen to remain in London but appears to have lost his appetite for football after finding himself frozen out at Emirates Stadium.

It is understood that no clubs have enquired about his services despite Arshavin being able to talk to other teams from January — reports last week of interest from Los Angeles Galaxy were inaccurate — and consequently he faces a decidedly uncertain future.

His availability has been widely circulated by Arsenal during the last four transfer windows but the lack of interest is thought to centre partly on his high wages, which equate to around £95,000 a week.

At the end of the 2010-11 season, Arshavin held talks with manager Arsene Wenger, who indicated that he would not be considered a first-team regular but was welcome to stay and fight for his place. He took up the invitation but found first-team appearances hard to come by.

It became clear Arshavin would need to leave the club to secure regular action to ensure his match fitness ahead of Euro 2012.

Zenit were reluctant to buy Arshavin but eventually agreed a six-month loan for a £1m fee that temporarily satisfied all parties. However, he returned to Arsenal last summer and despite Wenger deeming him surplus to requirements, Arshavin once again opted to stay.

But he has started only two matches this season — both in the Capital One Cup against Coventry and Reading — prompting Arsenal’s attempts to once again move him on in January to help reduce a wage bill that was sent spiralling by several new contracts handed to players including Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott.

Arshavin was available for as little as £1m by this stage but only Reading made a concrete offer and the player declined the move to the Madejski Stadium, privately declaring he was unwilling to play for a club at the bottom end of the Premier League.

Sources close to Arshavin suggest he may continue with another club next season should a suitable offer arise but that at present interest in taking the player “couldn’t be colder”.

Arshavin is, therefore, giving serious thought to hanging up his boots rather than playing for a smaller club in England, and with Zenit unwilling to re-sign him for a third time, he remains hopeful of an offer from another London club.

There will be some Arsenal supporters cynically greeting the news Arshavin is pondering retirement with the response that they thought he already had. His present malaise is a spectacular fall from grace for a player who burst into English football during his first six months. Arshavin’s most memorable contribution came against Liverpool in April 2009 when he scored all four goals in a dramatic 4-4 draw at Anfield.

Building on an impressive series of performances at Euro 2008, Arshavin appeared ready to take the Premier League by storm but his effectiveness gradually eroded.

Sources close to the Arsenal squad argue he was played out of position by Wenger too often, frequently starting on the left flank and asked to track back in a manner to which he was unaccustomed.

Arshavin also spent a brief spell playing as a centre-forward during an injury crisis at the club and there was a sense he was never truly comfortable in Wenger’s system.

His critics complained about a lack of fitness and work rate and he has occasionally become a scapegoat for the team’s underperformance — Arshavin’s introduction as a substitute and then failure to prevent Manchester United’s winning goal in a 2-1 home defeat in January last year earned him the wrath of the Emirates faithful and stands out as one of the lowest points of his career.

Effective displays for Russia at Euro 2012 proved flashes of quality remain and surely there will be a club ready to take a chance on him but for now, at least, Arshavin appears ready to walk away from it all.

Arshavin in numbers

£15M - paid to Zenit for Arshavin so late on transfer deadline day that the deal was not confirmed until the following day

145 - games for the north London club, 48 of which were from the substitutes’ bench

31 - goals in four years, an average of 4.7 games per goal

577 - days since his last League goal for the club . . . against Swansea

55 - of his 97 starts ended with him being taken off by Arsene Wenger

75 - caps for Russia with 17 goals at an average of one every 4.4 games


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/arsenal-forward-andrey-arshavin-ready-to-quit-football-8565999.html

[GSK_AFC]

It's due to family reasons I think.

[Massa]

Feel for him, but there is not a place for him in our starting 11

[yosifun]

As long as his salary is off the books..

[Youngie]

Had such high hopes for Andrey. He was the Russian Messi, i will never forget that famous Liverpool game.

[Leody]

It's due to family reasons I think.

That and him clearly not being all that interested in the game anymore. It's been apparent for awhile now.

[Zenith]

Is this official?

Anyway...

For me the 'played out of position excuse' is still a factor in him not quite living up to the expectations, yes he looked lazy at times but to me he looked more frustrated than anything else. Not every CAM is suited to play on the wing.
Will never forget his four goals against Liverpool, you don't just score four on accident, on his day he was a class act.

Good luck with w/e your plans are, AA!

[Youngie]

Maybe he's going to go back to making clothes and dresses.

[Royal Gooner]

Maybe he's going to go back to making clothes and dresses.

Or selling insurance full time.

In all seriousness, I think it is a real shame as I liked him as a player but I suppose this is what happens when you're that talented but continuously getting benched seeing players worse than you being played in front of you every game.

[Youngie]

Maybe he's going to go back to making clothes and dresses.

Or selling insurance full time.

In all seriousness, I think it is a real shame as I liked him as a player but I suppose this is what happens when you're that talented but continuously getting benched seeing players worse than you being played in front of you every game.

There must be more to it he just gave up.

I do wish him well for the future but he could of been one of the best players in Europe. Now he'll just be known as a flash in the pan

[golfinguy]

Poor guy lost his mojo so quickly, I still think Fat Bastard has it in a veil somewhere.

[ArsenalN5]

Such a shame, He's hugely talented, One of the most talented football players in our squad.... Crappy that it's ended this way.

[Lb-Gibbs]

I Know Arshavin in person.

He and he's translator would give me free tickets.

Im only 14 . never paided for a Arsenal game , Thank's to Arshavin.

[GSK_AFC]

lol ok

[Zedie]

Those 4 goals are so long ago, arshavins legend kind of died not long After. I'll never forget that night v farca when his banger literally choked me up. At the same time I'll always find it hard to understand how a man who is paid to play football couldn't put enough effort in to improve his fitness enough to play the game he must have loved.

So long Arsh, roll on a new arrival.