Wenger voices Arshavin disappointment
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has voiced his disappointment with Andrey Arshavin following the forward’s apparent admission that playing for Barcelona would be the pinnacle of his career.
The Russia international recently spoke of his desire to one day play for the Catalan giants, who knocked the Gunners out of this season’s Champions League.
NEWS:Arshavin still dreams of Barca
When asked if he was aware of his player’s comments, the Arsenal manager replied: “Yes, I am very disappointed because he shows a completely different attitude.”
Arshavin’s agent has since insisted that the diminutive playmaker, who joined Arsenal from Zenit St Petersburg in January 2009, is unlikely to leave the club.
And Wenger added: “He wants to extend his contract with us and stay with us, so the noise coming out of Russia is very difficult to explain.
"He looks to be very happy here, so you should ask him where it comes from.”
The Arsenal boss questioned the reliability of the quotes attributed to Arshavin, which originally appeared on the English-language website of Russian newspaper Sport Express.
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“I just put one question mark behind the things that come back translated,” he said. “Usually you have direct access to him, you can ask him where that comes from.
“I don’t forbid you to talk to him, but I take with a little bit of distance what comes back translated sometimes with the help of some agents who want to move the players.”
Arshavin, who has scored 17 goals in 53 appearances for the Gunners, looks set to miss Monday’s trip to Blackburn due to a calf injury.
NEWS:Arshavin blames mistranslation for media fuss
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.