Arshavin can and this will open up so much space for other players. Players who run at opponents make it more difficult for teams who just sit. Arsenal have had problems opening up defensive teams, Arshavin will commit defences which should leave room for players like Van Persie and Nasri

The saying no smoke without fire rings true in most cases but not necessarily when it comes to transfer rumours. The Andrei Arshavin story started in the summer, before the European championships and by the end of it he was the talk of Europe, with that came a massive £24 million transfer tag locked around his neck. Barcelona expressed interest and Arshavin said that they were the club for him. Barcelona were put off by his huge price tag and decided to purchase a cheaper version in Alex Hleb.

Real Madrid and other European giants expressed interest along with teams such as Tottenham but Zenit St Petersburg were not willing to budge on their valuation on the player.

The summer window came and went, which left Arshavin at his club. His performance levels have not reached those of the European Championships or his UEFA Cup form which saw Zenit lift the trophy last season. Arshavin pleaded to be let go and Zenit have agreed.

The January window opened and once again the valuation had been the stumbling block for interested sides but with financial crisis, Zenit have a much weaker hand. Arsenal saw the opportunity and went for the player, interestingly not many other clubs showed an interest in the player. After weeks and weeks of on, off talks between all three parties an agreement was finally met, in the final moments a deal was agreed to bring Arshavin to North London.

So what would Andrei Arshavin bring to a young Arsenal team?

Direct Dribbling

Arshavin in a different style but similar effect would do what Ronaldo does for Manchester United. Give him the ball out wide on the half way line and he will drive at defenders and swerve inside and outside them.

Arsenal have been missing that since Theo Walcott has been fit and playing well. The difference is Theo Walcott along with Carlos Vela are straight lined players. They will hit it outside the defender and run past, they are not as comfortable cutting inside the player. Players like Diaby and Nasri are players who can dribble around the opposition but it is not enough speed to go past them on a regular basis.

Arshavin can and this will open up so much space for other players. Players who run at opponents make it more difficult for teams who just sit. Arsenal have had problems opening up defensive teams, Arshavin will commit defences which should leave room for players like Van Persie and Nasri.

Final Ball

One of the first things that Wenger looks for in a creative player, his ability to find the killer pass. Arshavin is very strong in this area. He showed this in the UEFA cup final against Rangers when he assisted a goal and scored another.

Since the departure of Alex Hleb and perhaps more importantly the absence of Tomas Rosicky the creative final pass has been left to Cesc a little too often. Nasri has the ability to do this also but is still trying to overcome consistent injuries which relates to consistency on the pitch. Arshavin is another player who can supply the likes of Adebayor, Van Persie and Eduardo.

Goals

Although his goalscoring record isn’t that of his quality he is still dangerous in and around the penalty area. He has the ability to play one-two’s around the box and continue driving into the box. He has a powerful shot and is creative in his finishing. Arsenal have lacked goals from midfield so far this season and he could up those figures.

Arshavin scored 51 goals in 238 games for Zenit St Petersburg which is roughly 1 in every 4.6 games.

What we do not know right how he will handle the English Premier League. It is quicker and more physical than any other league in Europe and possibly the world. Some players thrive on it whilst some players cannot handle it. Hopefully his ability to run past players instead of directly confronting them will give him an advantage.

Andrei Arshavin could well be the spark for the second half of the season that the manager was talking about.