Arshavin eyes top two

Zenit ace eyes January move to Man United or Chelsea

By Richard Bailey   Last updated: 17th December 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Arshavin eyes top two

Arshavin: Set for a move away from Zenit

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Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Andrei Arshavin has set his sights on a move to Manchester United or Chelsea after his club have agreed to let him leave.

Arshavin was expected to join Barcelona and then Tottenham following an impressive Euro 2008 helping Russia reach the semi-finals.

However, Zenit held a tight grip over the 27-year-old and priced him out of the market but they now appear to have admitted defeat in their bid to keep the playmaker.

Arshavin has welcomed the news but seems to have switched his sights from Spurs to champions Manchester United and Chelsea.

"I still have a desire to play abroad and I'd like to play either in Spain or England," he said in The Sun.

"Barcelona are my favourite team and in England there is Manchester United and Chelsea."

Zenit general manager Maxim Mitrofanov has confirmed that his side's creative spark could be on his way to Eastern Europe.

"We gave Arshavin permission to negotiate directly with other clubs," he said.

"Usually a player who has a running contract with a team isn't allowed to do it. But Zenit are prepared to consider any offers for Arshavin."