So given that the agreement was only confirmed at 8.52 pm GMT, why should this be seen as falling before the deadline of 5 pm?
Arshavin to Arsenal
- Thread starter Brwned
- Start date
So given that the agreement was only confirmed at 8.52 pm GMT, why should this be seen as falling before the deadline of 5 pm?
Article looks a load of bollocks to me, when was the last time a senior official from the FA would talk to the Russian media especially as I doubt over this transfer he won't talk to the English media about it.
No, I believe as long as both clubs had a deal in place in principle by 5pm then you can go past the 5pm deadline. Only if the weather has caused the delays though.
Indeed it is, Zenit have been a right bunch of wankers throughout this and made this transfer as difficult as possible.
Something doesn't feel right though, it shouldn't take this long to announce it.
I think you'll find the 2-3-whatever million we're paying as the contract-breaking 'pay off' will have been deducted from Arshavin's wages.
But the weather was not in factor in this case was it? Arshavin was already at the club and had had a medical.
I hope he does go back to Russia. Zenit have been twattish and I hope they lose him for nothing.
Speaking of weather, at least that wont ever be a legitimate excuse for him if things go tits-up.
Looks kosher to me. It's got a direct quote from the (named) Director of Communications at the FA.
None of this "a source" shite that usually means the article's been cobbled together by some hack with a spare column inch or two.
This pay-off think is curious. Does anyone think it's the first example of someone invoking the Webster Clause?
If so, whatever happened to the gentlemans agreement between top clubs not to use this piece of legislation?
Arshavin doesn't seem too certain about it:
"“Now I can say only one thing – that if I play for Arsenal, it will be at No23.”
"“Now I can say only one thing – that if I play for Arsenal, it will be at No23.”
He didn't buy out his contract, they blackmailed him into repaying his signing on fee (if indeed anything coming out of Zenit bears any passing resemblance to the truth).
Surely this is a problem though - since these are negotiation issues not really affected by the weather.
This pay-off think is curious. Does anyone think it's the first example of someone invoking the Webster Clause?
If so, whatever happened to the gentlemans agreement between top clubs not to use this piece of legislation?
The Webster ruling is irrelevant here (as anyone paying attention to the story should realise
).Zenit paid Arshavin a large 'loyalty bonus' up-front on the basis he would see out his contract. When he wanted to go early they said he had to pay the relevant proportion of it back.
It seems weird to me that nearly 24 hours after the 5pm deadline the FA have still not confirmed the transfer as valid.
The Webster ruling is irrelevant here (as anyone paying attention to the story should realise
Zenit paid Arshavin a large 'loyalty bonus' up-front on the basis he would see out his contract. When he wanted to go early they said he had to pay the relevant proportion of it back.
Why?
Yeah. I reckon it's because they did it too late, and they know the weather wasn't the reason, but it's in basically everyone's interest for the transfer to go ahead so they're going to try to find a way. I expect they will too, though it will be spurious most likely.
It's not in the interest of several other Prem clubs though is it?
I can sense some legal writs winging their way into the FA offices even as we speak
Yeah, there will be some bullshit like the medical results were delayed coming from the clinic because of the snow.
This pay-off think is curious. Does anyone think it's the first example of someone invoking the Webster Clause?
If so, whatever happened to the gentlemans agreement between top clubs not to use this piece of legislation?
Sounds more like creative accounting to me. Zenit are trying to make out they got a bigger fee than they actually did in reality. Either that or they have gotten Arsenal to cough up, with Arsenal having done a deal that they get the money back from him.
Either way, Arsenal won't have taken the hit for this signing on fee that Zenit claim is due, IMO. We've seen often enough that they very rarely overpay for players, often to their detriment in the long term.
They've spent big money on players before (remember Princess Reyes?). I see no reason to believe they haven't done the same here. Especially when you bear in mind the timing of this transfer and the pressure they're under for fourth spot (with the profound financial implications of missing out on a CL slot) If anything, I'm amazed they left it so late to meet Zenit's valuation (or at least meet them half-way, whatever).
Because what is at issue is the repayment of a loyalty bonus - not someone buying out a contract based on the Webster figures. Try reading what someone posts next time.
It was specifically reported yesterday (and repeated today) that Zenit wanted money from Arshavin that they reckoned he now owed them because of this transfer. This was a 'sticking point' in negotiations (as was the salary being offered according to some accounts.)
Because what is at issue is the repayment of a loyalty bonus - not someone buying out a contract based on the Webster figures. Try reading what someone posts next time.
Trying reading what people put in bold next time.
I simply asked why the Webster clause is irrelevant in this transfer. Nothing to do with this alleged "loyalty payment" and the motivations behind it.
At the time, he had a huge reputation. £17m wasn't particularly overpaying, IMO, especially considering it was heavily performance-related. In fact, they ended up paying much less from memory, based on his overall lack of success there.
But generally they get value for money, or at least relative to the other big clubs.
As an aside, if this transfer doesn't go through, Arsenal may have dodged a bullet, IMO. They will probably take fourth with or without him, and they could use the money on other areas in the summer.
On that point I agree 100%. I just don't see him as being the missing piece(s) in their jigsaw.
My understanding was that the transfer's sticking point was Zenit felt they were owed some portion of Arshavin's signing fee from his last contract with them, not money owed on this deal.
Why's that?
In the end they got at least £5m knocked off the original price, that's just good negotiating.
We pretty much did the same thing with Berbatov, although we can't be sure what each teams' original valuation of his was but I expect we paid a fair bit ore than we'd hoped to.
Because they came fecking close to not getting their man. If Wengers sees him as the player who can nail down fourth place, it seems mental to quibble over a couple of million quid when CL qualification is worth tens of millions.
I'm not saying they should have met the original fee demanded but they took a massive risk by leaving it all as late as they did.
I know what you mean Pogue but I don't think Wenger does see Arshavin as absolutely crucial to getting 4th - I think he just wants to sign him, probably because his name sounds a bit like Arsene and Arsenal. If he could I think he'd be signing a top class defender or two and a top class central midfielder.
Re the valuation Zenit have been twats, massively overpricing a player who has already been at the club for longer than he wants to be, and who if he stays won't give them much. He should have been £10m really. Fair play to Arsenal for standing their ground.
Next up - Arsenio Hall signs for the Gunners and claims he couldn't speak before he saw a game of football.
Re the valuation Zenit have been twats, massively overpricing a player who has already been at the club for longer than he wants to be, and who if he stays won't give them much. He should have been £10m really. Fair play to Arsenal for standing their ground.
Next up - Arsenio Hall signs for the Gunners and claims he couldn't speak before he saw a game of football.
It's not in the interest of several other Prem clubs though is it?
I can sense some legal writs winging their way into the FA offices even as we speak
Only an idiot (maybe Levy?) would contest any decision since they are unlikely to know the details and are more likely to get burnt.
Actually, that's a good point. As I said a couple of posts back, I don't think he is the player they really need this season but I can see how he is an Arsenal-type player and how Wenger could use him in the longer term. If they hadn't acted now, he might have ended up somewhere else in the summer.
I think that's right, I don't expect him to make a big impact in the dozen or so games he's likely to play. We are taking the opportunity to get a very good player at a very reasonable price. If we have tied up him and Nasri for £30M it's a steal.
Still leaves you a bit fecked for steel though. Maybe he'll sort it in the summer. More likely he'll bang on about his young players and having faith in them and you'll win f*** all again next season.
The steel bit is overegged - your pair of Carrick and Scholes aren't exactly hardmen. We could use someone who can run and tackle a bit in midfield though.
Carrick and Scholes rarely play together now, and Carrick is an effective tackler, tracker and runner anyway - more so than any of your lot.
We also have the necessary steel and height behind them, and more physical players on the wings, where you don't.
And that's where Arsenal really do need steel. Ideally this "steel" should be a decent central defender who isn't either mental or still raddled with malaria.
Or with a head shaped like a kidney.
You got in before I edited my post. Now I think about it, you don't really need much more steel once you have someone like Carrick.
You got in before I edited my post. Now I think about it, you don't really need much more steel once you have someone like Carrick.
Gallas has looked like a new man since he was relieved of the captaincy burden, Djourou has been shaping up well and Kolo has shown signs of running back into form. Kidney-head is, of course, injured (as he was for the last two bleedin' years).
At 4pm today Arshavin genuinely didn't know who he would be playing for. Furthermore, he was blaming the problems on the FA!
Well, so did we.
I don't think we seen Berbatov as vital, nor do I think they seen Arshavin as a vital signing either.
Just adding to the attacking talent that's already there, and as you said before the attacking players cost big money so if there's an opportunity to bring him in for a reasonable price then you do it.
He's likely to take most of February and March to settle in anyway, I reckon. Skrtel, Vidic and Pavlyuchenko all took their time to settle in after coming from the Russian League.