Manchester City are closing in on Andrei Arshavin after agreeing an £18million deal with Zenit St Petersburg.
The 27-year-old striker flew into London last week amid speculation he was poised to join Arsenal.
But City have stormed into pole position and Arshavin isoncourse to boost manager Mark Hughes's strike options at the struggling club.
Dennis Lachter, Arshavin's agent, has claimed a move to the Emirates was unlikely because of Zenit's massive financial demands.
The 27-year-old striker flew into London last week amid speculation he was poised to join Arsenal.
But City have stormed into pole position and Arshavin isoncourse to boost manager Mark Hughes's strike options at the struggling club.
Dennis Lachter, Arshavin's agent, has claimed a move to the Emirates was unlikely because of Zenit's massive financial demands.
Arsenal's valuation of the player was closer to £15m - and there was also an issue about the wages that Arshavin wants to seal a move to England.
He sees himself in the £85,000-a-week bracket and at Arsenal only Cesc Fabregas earns anything like that.
Manager Arsene Wenger refuses to undermine the salary structure within the squad and that has opened the way for City's move.
City officials, backed by the wealth of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met Arshavin and have agreed to meet his club's demands of full payment up front to clinch the deal.
Arshavin had been linked with a host of club's following his impressive form for Russian during Euro 2008.
But the vast majority of them baulked at the asking price that initially stood at £24m.
Arshavin's agent claimed the player's departure was inevitable once the transfer window opened for business in January.
"That is what is going to happen," he said. "There are 10, 15, 20 teams who are interested in him. The question is, can they afford him?"
City can and, following the arrival of Wayne Bridge for £13.5 million from Chelsea last week, Arshavin looks likely to follow him into Eastlands this week.
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