Zenit St Petersburg claim they have lowered their
asking price for Andrei Arshavin to clear the path for the Russia
forward to move to Spurs.
Spurs were originally told the 27-year-old, who starred at
Euro 2008 for his country, would cost upwards of £20million and no
fee was agreed between the clubs.
Arshavin, encouraged by a conversation with Tottenham head coach
Juande Ramos, is willing to join Spurs after initially declaring
Barcelona as his preferred destination.
Spurs are in the market for strikers following the departure of
Robbie Keane to Liverpool and Dimitar Berbatov wanting to leave
White Hart Lane Lane for Manchester United. Arshavin would be seen
as a like-for-like replacement for Keane.
"There are only small differences left," Zenit sporting director
Konstantin Sarsaniya told Russian newspaper Sovetsky Sport, who
suggested a deal could be concluded over the weekend.
"Zenit have decided to reduce the asking price for Andrei, but
exactly how much I cannot say because the negotiations were led by
Zenit president Alexander Dyukov."
Should Berbatov leave, Ramos would be left with Darren Bent as
his only out-and-out striker, with new signing Giovani dos Santos
as possible support for the attack.
Ramos has also been linked earlier in the summer with a move for
Arshavin's Russia team-mate Roman Pavlyuchenko. More recently
Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz has been suggested as a possible
target.