ARSHAVIN COMPLETES ARSENAL SWITCH

Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin.

The Gunners agreed a deal for the player with his former club, Zenit St Petersburg, just minutes before the 5pm transfer deadline and had to wait until nearly 24 hours later for the move to be ratified by the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has joined for an undisclosed fee, signing what the north Londoners call a "long-term" contract.

Arsenal were forced to delay naming Arshavin as their player as it was one of a number of transfers awaiting approval by the Premier League board because of administrative delays caused by the severe snow which crippled London's transport networks on deadline day.

A report on Zenit's official site read: "The St Petersburg club will receive £16.5million - £15m for the transfer of the player and £1.5m compensation for breaking a long-term contract.

"In addition there is a further 500,000 Euros [£450,000] in bonuses which Arshavin has not yet received which will not be paid and instead make up part of the transfer sum.

"The overall sum of the transfer is around US Dollars 24m [£16.9m]."

Should those figures be correct, the deal would represent a transfer record for the Gunners.

Wenger has long been an admirer of the 41-cap Russia international, who shot to prominence at Euro 2008.

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Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin.

The Gunners agreed a deal for the player with his former club, Zenit St Petersburg, just minutes before the 5pm transfer deadline and had to wait until nearly 24 hours later for the move to be ratified by the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has joined for an undisclosed fee, signing what the north Londoners call a "long-term" contract.

Arsenal were forced to delay naming Arshavin as their player as it was one of a number of transfers awaiting approval by the Premier League board because of administrative delays caused by the severe snow which crippled London's transport networks on deadline day.

A report on Zenit's official site read: "The St Petersburg club will receive £16.5million - £15m for the transfer of the player and £1.5m compensation for breaking a long-term contract.

"In addition there is a further 500,000 Euros [£450,000] in bonuses which Arshavin has not yet received which will not be paid and instead make up part of the transfer sum.

"The overall sum of the transfer is around US Dollars 24m [£16.9m]."

Should those figures be correct, the deal would represent a transfer record for the Gunners.

Wenger has long been an admirer of the 41-cap Russia international, who shot to prominence at Euro 2008.

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