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Arsenal’s underperforming midfielder Andrey Arshavin could be set for a sensational move to Serie A title chasers Juventus, according to his agent.

However, Dennis Lachter has insisted there is still a long way to go before any potential deal is finalised due to questions Juventus’ financial muscle.

After making a brilliant start to his Gunners career, Arshavin has been off the boil so far this season and boss Arsene Wenger has had to reassure fans he will bounce back soon.

However, it is believed Arsenal will listen to offers in the range of £17 million, a value used to put off potential suitors.

The price tag would also re-coup the amount Arsenal parted with when they brought him to the Emirates Stadium on the January transfer deadline day two years ago.

And Arshavin’s agent has confirmed Juve are interested in his player but has also admitted he is happy to help the Gunners challenge for the Barclays Premier League title this season.

“There’s a possibility of Andrei’s move to Juventus,” his agent, Dennis Lachter, told lifesports.ru. “But there are two things that can prevent this deal.

“First, Arsenal can win the Premier League this year. The gold medal of the English league is a dream of any footballer.

“Second is the financial ability of Juve as Arsenal are demanding no less than $26 million (£17 million) to release Arshavin.” (Give Me Football – Official PFA Website)

As agents go Dennis Lachter is one of the worst of a very bad bunch. He constantly attempts to engineer transfers and say’s things like “I can’t comment” and then comments. Basically he is essentially saying that his client would be interested in a move to Juventus if Arsenal fail to land the Premier League title.

It is worth noting that Andrei Arshavin has spent the entire season sauntering around the pitch like someone stole his lunch money, the Russian just doesn’t look happy. In saying that he has actually scored seven goals this season, so one wonders what he would have managed if he wasn’t in a seemingly pissy mood.

Juventus are after everyone right now apparently, the Turin club are hoping to recapture their lost glory and the club’s money men are ready to spend big time to do so and the Gunners man is high up on their wish-list and one wonders what Arsene Wenger would do if a solid offer came in for Arshavin, after all at 29 years of age this would be the last chance to make some money from any sale.

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The Rumour

Agent Dennis Lachter has invited Barcelona to make a formal bid for Arsenal star Andrey Arshavin.

Arshavin, 28, has enjoyed a hugely successful start to his career at Emirates Stadium but there have been rumours linking him with a summer move to Camp Nou.

And Lachter, who represented Arshavin when he made his move from Zenit St Petersburg in January, has now called on the European champions to make a move.

“Before anything else, Barcelona should make a formal offer,” Lachter told COM Radio.

“Then we can sit down and speak.”

However, it remains unclear whether Lachter is still working as Arshavin’s agent as the player claimed last month that he no longer required his services.

“Recently, I sent a formal letter to Dennis Lachter, which said that I do not want him to continue to represent me and that I will act on my own behalf,” he said in the Daily Mail.

The Source: (Sky Sports)

The Analysis

Now this a strange one. Dennis Lachter is one of the more eccentric agents, as Arsenal found out when they first showed an interest in Andrei Arshavin. Quite what’s going on in his head is beyond me, the Russian attacking midfielder already made it clear a few days ago that he didn’t want Lachter representing him so now he looks a bit like a crazy man!

Arsenal will not even consider selling the former Zenit man, not least because he has already proved himself more than capable of being able to cut it in the Premier League but also because Arsene Wenger will know that to appease the club’s fans they must not lose any big names as they attempt to stop the run of four successive silverware-less seasons.

Barcelona, much like Real Madrid, will not need much in the way of encouragement to unsettle players, so this move by the former agent will just make them even more eager to push the tapping up laws to the limit…and then breaking them!

The Likelihood

Arshavin to Barcelona: Not going to happen!

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Zenit St Petersburg have confirmed that Barcelona have made an approach for their playmaker Andrei Arshavin, the star of Russia’s Euro 2008 campaign. A spokesman for Zenit stated today:

Barcelona have made a formal proposal to Zenit for the purchase of Arshavin.

We will only talk about this once Andrei returns to Zenit.

Barcelona now looks to be the preferred destination, with them making moves to complete a transfer that the 27-year-old Russian described as his “dream” earlier this week. The Catalans have been monitoring the player since earlier this year, as Barca vice-president Ferrari Seriano mentions:

Our interest isn’t sudden since we have been following him with discretion for a few months now.

We are interested in Arshavin. But it won’t be easy to sign him because all teams want him now.

Arshavin’s agent, Dennis Lachter, thinks he will leave Zenit for Camp Nou in a deal worth around €25million (£19.8million), but he insists money is not the main factor, as he told Spanish TV channel La Sexta:

It’s time for him [Arshavin] to look for new challenges, and this is a great opportunity for him. Everything depends on how interested Barcelona are and how much the player wants to play there.

There are not that many clubs in the world that can match his pay at the moment, but the main reasons for leaving will be sporting ones.

The move has the hype of an international tournament. Arshavin has only played two games for Russia, yet he is already worth three times what he was after winning the UEFA Cup. I’m not doubting his talent, but even Michael Ricketts had a few good games once.