Zenit St Petersburg manager Luciano Spalletti insists he may try to sign Andrei Arshavin on a permanent deal this summer after the winger spent the end of last season on loan with the Russian side.

The Arsenal playmaker returned to his former club after falling out of favour at the Emirates Stadium but has clearly impressed his new manager who, according to The Daily Mail, is searching for ‘top level’ signings having already been linked with Manchester United’s Nani and Porto’s Hulk.

Arshavin’s reputation in England may have taken a nosedive recently but he’s still seen as a high profile capture for Zenit. As national team captain and lynchpin of the Russian side, his signature is viewed as a major coup despite his apparent dip in form when representing the Gunners.

Upon his arrival in North London, Arshavin became the club’s most expensive signing and was an instant hit during the early part of his Arsenal career. His four goals against Liverpool etched him into the club’s folklore but despite scoring 30 times in 133 appearances, the player’s motivation appeared to be lacking last season and manager Arsene Wenger seems willing to offload him.

Links with Qatari side Al-Sadd have surfaced but a move to his homeland seems more likely with Zenit currently leading the race for his signature.

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