Andrei Arshavin has reportedly gone on strike at Zenit St Petersburg and his agent claims the Tottenham target is being treated like a 'slave'.The Russia international impressed at Euro 2008 to spark a summer bidding war for his services, with Barcelona having two offers rejected.
Tottenham are now believed to be in the box-seat to land Arshavin, but the move could be in jeopardy after the 27-year-old refused to play as Zenit crashed out if the Russian Cup on Wednesday.
To Arshavin's frustration, the UEFA Cup holders are refusing to budge from their £27million valuation and White Hart Lane officials are unwilling to meet the price tag.
And in an echo of the comments of FIFA president Sepp Blatter in the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga, Arshavin's agent, Dennis Lachter, claims the player is being mistreated, telling The Independent: "This is the Russian way.
"Nothing will change because this is the old Soviet Union way. For the Russian sports establishment the desires of the player mean absolutely nothing.
"They are the big bosses. It is a dictatorship. He is a slave."
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Arshavin who? It takes more than 2-3 good played games to become a star. If you ask me, I'd pay no more than 5M Euro for him.
if they cant afford 27m, then they shld take their hands off, afterall there are millions of talents outthere, but since scouts does not do their job and everyone wants discovered skills. the club has all the right to put any amount on their player, its up to u, if u think , the player is worth it or not
The problem with inflated Transfer Fees is self generated within Football itself. Players and Agents demand higher and higher wages and the only way Clubs can offset the astronomic wages is to demand higher transfer fees. Clubs who hold out for the highest possible transfer fee are not to blame. Its the players and agents who are the root cause of this increasingly frequent situation. I am not a Tottenham supporter so I do not care where Arshavin plays his football but in reality is a player who was unknown before Euro 2008 worth 27 million ? He is untried and untested in the worlds best league and who wants to pay 27 million for what could be a one tournament wonder ?
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