Brian McDermott has played down the prospect of Andrey Arshavin making a move from Arsenal in January, but the Reading boss has not ruled out spending big on the right player.
Arshavin, 31, has fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates in the past couple of seasons and is seemingly surplus to requirements.
The Russia international, who had a spell on loan at his former club Zenit St Petersburg last term, has been repeatedly linked with a move to Reading.
However, while McDermott has spoken in glowing terms of Arshavin in the past, he feels a deal is unlikely to happen.
"It's one that I've heard many times," McDermott told Sky Sports News. "He's an Arsenal player. I don't think he will be a Reading player."
While Reading have not spent big money on transfers of late, McDermott has hinted that could possibly change if the right player was to come along.
"We haven't broken the bank, I certainly haven't in the last three years and we probably haven't in the last 12 years as a club,” he said.
"That's not to say that if a player came in that we felt was right for us, at the right cost, then the owner would have to make a decision to back that deal. Then we will wait and see. It's not a case of we wouldn't if it was right."
