Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Gunners Can't Let Andrey Arshavin Get Away

The Gunners are not in a position to be selling players—even if that player is out-of-favor Andrey Arshavin. 

Arsenal is just five points out for a top-four spot, and they have had what is so far a very underwhelming January transfer window. 

They got Thomas Eisfeld from Borussia Dortmund for £400,000 and acquired Thierry Henry on loan. There is nothing wrong with these acquisitions if they were complementary deals, but they aren't. They are the main attraction and they lack pop and impact.

The moves lack the aggressiveness that you'd like to see out of a team in Arsenal's position. They cannot compound this failure in aggression by letting a player go. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at the rumor.

The Rumor

While neither team has come right out and said it, it is safe to assume that the well-to-do Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala is talking to Arshavin. This interest is being widely reported.

This comes to us from Graeme Bailey of Sky Sports: "Sky Sports understands that Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala have begun preliminary talks to sign Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin."

This is certainly not surprising. Arshavin's production and playing time have fallen off the map, and he certainly carries value in his homeland Russia. 

He has 18 months left on his current deal. 

Why Arsenal Must Keep Arshavin

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger sums this all up himself. Here is Wenger less than two weeks ago—as quoted by Brian Marshall of Football Gossip: "On top of our injuries, we cannot lose players of that quality. It is too difficult."

They can't now turnaround and sell him. What's Wenger going to tell his team and fans? "Well it wasn't really that difficult, and it is a lot less difficult with this fat wad of cash that will most likely never get put back into the team."

That would be a huge blow to team morale and would send a message that the bottom line is more important than winning. 

This is a club that shouldn't be cash-strapped after selling off of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. They should be acquiring talent, not losing it. 

After going bargain shopping at the transfer deadline dollar store for Henry and Eisfeld, they can't sell a potential impact player.