The Russian, who is out of contract during the close-season, signed for Arsenal from Zenit in 2009 and, despite a good start to life at the Emirates Stadium, he quickly found himself short of form.

He was then loaned back to the Russian side in 2012 where he scored three times in 10 appearances and, according to Zenit boss Luciano Spalletti, he could now be on the radar for a permanent switch.

"If Arshavin is the man who can bring something extra to our team, then we will think about it," the Italian said. 

"We like Andrey, who is a charismatic player."

Zenit finished the season as runners-up in the Russian Premier League, two points behind champions CSKA Moscow.