Looking back- Arshavin To Arsenal

The jury is still out on whether there should be a mid-season transfer window or not, but its efficacy cannot be questioned for time and again we see how clubs are reinvigorated by their winter transfer dealings. Exactly five years ago, Arsenal managed to pull off a transfer that was very “un-Arsenal” – a transfer that saw Arsenal churn out their record fee, a transfer that was up in the air till the very end and a transfer that is now looked at with mixed emotions for what it was worth and for what it gave to the team.

Andrey Arshavin, 27, a late bloomer in footballing terms, was the flavour of the season in 2008-09 and Euro 2008 had him earn high praise from pundits for his role in the Russian team that finished semi-finalists in the tournament. The summer window looked like an avenue for Arshavin to move to a bigger league having lifted the UEFA Cup with his boyhood club Zenit. Rumor had it that Barcelona under new coach Pep Guardiola were looking for a player who could fit in the Number 10 role.

Arshavin against United in 2012-13

Arshavin looked a perfect fit for Barcelona, but things turned sour on the financial aspects of the deal. Instead, Alexander Hleb was signed from Arsenal to fill the void in the creative midfield and later and more lastingly on the bench by Barcelona. Arshavin had to contend for Russian summer,but he was soon on the availability list in the winter transfer window. This time round, the suitors were Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger was looking for someone to lift up a young Arsenal squad, fighting to secure a champions league spot and Arshavin looked like a superb deal; though it was pretty unusual for Arsene the economist to look for a player in the prime of his game and demanding a considerable fee as a prospective signing. After long negotiations and haggling over the right valuation a deal looked imminent right at the end of transfer window. But like an anti-climax. another road block appeared – the players own wage demand. A Russian who grew up in socialist conditions was trying to breach Arsenal’s own socialist wage structure. Ultimately, Arsenal’s record transfer was completed and announced after a weather disturbance on Feb 3, 2009.

Everybody expected Arshavin to slot right where he had earned all the plaudits, i.e. the second striker/Number 10 role, but surprisingly he was used as a wide forward/winger by Wenger. Initially, he looked the part too. He had something other to offer to this young and naïve side. He was more direct in his play, looking to forego the Arsenal passing game and be more selfish and surprisingly he was able to fend off the physicality of the British game as well (to the extent that he went on to do it on a cold rainy night at stoke).

Though the central role remained elusive at the Emirates, Arshavin was still proving to be a critical member of the squad. Memorable goals against the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona and the 4 goals at Anfield had made him somewhat of a cult figure. But unable to win a starting role, there were concerns about his defensive discipline and his susceptibility to an odd give away or two.

With younger players given much more importance, reports of off field incidents, lack of playing time and at an age of 30, it looked like this was the end of Arsenal’s record signing. The end was not at all sweet; with jokes circulating about the “weighty” issues and in a slump professionally and personally, Arshavin went back to Russia initially on a loan deal and after another season on the fringe with Arsenal, permanently. Arshavin came out in the press to talk about his London sojourn, describing Arsenal’s atmosphere as cold and that he had to cope with depression.

Looking back at the tenure of the diminutive Russian at the London Colney, the four and a half years can be best described as bittersweet. A player who was the hottest talent around at the time of his arrival slowly saw his reputation plummet. People have regularly questioned what went wrong, with answers ranging from Wenger shunning him down, tactically using him incorrectly to Arshavin never really showing his willingness to improve his work rate for the team’s sake. But as Morgan Freeman nonchalantly says in the rap song “Bombs Away”- Truth has many shades, it’s not a matter of black and white, but grey.