THE agent of Andrei Arshavin has revealed his client could have been on his way to Arsenal, only for his wage demands to put Arsene Wenger off of a move for the Russian.
The Zenit St Petersburg playmaker's future has been one of the longest running sagas this summer, with Barcelona, the Gunners and most recently Tottenham thought to be the three clubs leading the race for his signature.
But a combination of UEFA Cup winners Zenit's hefty £21million asking price and Arshavin's supposed £100,000 a week wage demands have so far proved the biggest stumbling blocks. And the player's agent, Dennis Lachter revealed it was his client's personal demands that scuppered a move to the Emirates.
"Wenger was serious about buying Arshavin," Lachter was quoted as saying in the Daily Express.
"If Andrei could have tempered his financial appetite, it was quite possible he would be playing at the Emirates right now.
"Arsenal were prepared to pay about £15 million for him, but they are the only top English club who do not pay large salaries."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here