Gunners wait for Arshavin confirmation

The Gunners are understood to have submitted the necessary paperwork to the Premier League before Monday's 5pm deadline and are confident of securing the services of the Russia playmaker.

But the transfer could not be processed on Monday, leaving the north Londoners with an anxious wait to find out if their protracted pursuit of the 27-year-old will be ratified.

Amazingly for a deal which has been under discussion for the duration of the January transfer window, the proposed move went to the wire.

If Arshavin does become a Gunner, it is likely to cost manager Arsene Wenger around £15million - a club record.

The transfer looked likely to proceed in a relatively straightforward fashion when the Zenit St Petersburg midfielder was pictured in Hertfordshire on Monday morning, having flown into the country on Sunday.

However, sources close to the deal then revealed that Arshavin was on his way back to a London airport and the transfer was on the brink of collapse.

But negotiations continued behind the scenes with the asking price, personal terms and a possible payment from Arshavin to Zenit all mooted as potential sticking points.

Arshavin was identified early on as the club's number one target as Wenger looked to compensate for the losses of long-term injury absentees Cesc Fabregas, Tomas Rosicky and Theo Walcott.

Wenger was adamant at the weekend that his flagging squad did not need an "instant saviour" but Arshavin is seen as a potentially galvanising influence for a side who lie five points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa in one of their most disappointing seasons under the Frenchman.