Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has explained why he's so keen to sign Zenit St Petersburg attacker Andrei Arshavin.

Wenger said: "In a big club, you are always under pressure to have two or three players who give something special.

"It is like that everywhere - at Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, you need a player who can give something special.

"He's a guy who can go past people in the final third. He is experienced, he's 28 this year and we are a very young side. We will not have Cesc Fabregas in the next six to eight weeks, we will not have Theo Walcott in the next five weeks, nor Tomas Rosicky in the next eight weeks.

"We have the desire to do well in every competition and one more body could help us. We are only talking about him because Zenit have come out and spoken about the deal.

"But we have not agreed a fee, we have not applied for a work permit and there is still some way to go. It may go to the last minute of the last day."