Arshavin wanted by his old team mate

Does anybody really want Andrei Arshavin? If you believe everything you read in the tabloids and their online equivalent then you might be under the impression that current employers Arsenal have spent the last two years trying to get the Russian off the payroll.

Arsene Wenger’s side did manage to get their man away from the squad earlier this year and after an indifferent start to a loan spell at his old side Zenit St Petersburg, Arshavin seemed to settle back into Russian football quite effectively. Solid performances together with three vital goals helped to seal another title for Luciano Spalletti’s men but by the start of August, Shava was back in North London.

Now it’s November and the transfer window is just weeks away from reopening. Arshavin remains little more than a fringe player at Arsenal and it seems likely that a further move will be discussed in January but this time, the Gunners may want it to be permanent.

Admittedly there are weeks to go before a deal can be finalised but as the football gossip columns start to fill with rumours, only one club has been linked with a move for the Arsenal forward. Premiership strugglers Reading have emerged as the only contenders for Arshavins’ signature.

There are benefits to half a season battling against relegation – Reading is merely a hundred miles or so from Arsenal’s training ground at London Colney and there will be a familiar face there in former Zenit colleague Pavel Pogrebnyak.

The man who Arshavin supposedly dubbed ‘Po the Great’ is certainly hoping to link up with his former colleague once again.

“It's Arshavin who has to make the decision. Anton Zingarevich knows him well enough without listening to my opinion, as he is from St Petersburg,” Pogrebnyak told rg.ru.

"Andrey is a master and there is no doubt that it would be great to see him at Reading."

Time will tell but as January approaches, Andrei Arshavin’s future is no clearer than it was twelve months ago. Could the Reading transfer happen or does another Russian loan move await?