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Zenit St Petersburg have long demanded a £20 million asking price for their playmaking attack-minded midfielder Andrei Arshavin, yet Arsene Wenger's typical prudence in the transfer market has been shown with a cheeky £10 million bid that has already been rebuffed.
The two clubs remain in negotiations but are at loggerheads over the valuation and, in the meanwhile, the drawn out saga has paved a way for mega rich Manchester City and Serie A champions Internazionale to enter negotiations themselves.
Arshavin recently pulled out of his club's pre-season tour of the United Arab Emirates, indicating that he is prepared to leave the club for Arsenal.
His agent, Dennis Lachter, is quoted by the Sun as saying: "It looks like nothing will happen this week now but there may be some movement early next week."
Meanwhie Arsenal are reportedly also in the market for Lazio's French defender Modibo Diakite, 21.
This transfer appears to be a non-starter, however, as Diakite's agent - Pino Letterio - is reported to have said:
"He is not moving away from Rome.
"Lazio is like his family and he has no intention to leave the [Italian] capital.
"There is no possibility that Modibo will leave Lazio because he has just signed a five-year contract extension.
"Lazio does not want to see go a player they have helped develop leave."
Arsene Wenger recently said on the record that he would not be buying a defensive player this January, but would be open to moves for a creative player, and a defence-minded midfielder.
