LONDON (AP) — Arsenal finally completed the signing of Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday, hoping the Russian star can revive its faltering bid to win the Premier League title.

The 27-year-old attacking midfielder, one of the stars of Euro 2008 who also helped Zenit win last season's UEFA Cup, finalized his move after delays caused by paperwork took the announcement past Monday's transfer deadline.

"It was very hard days for me but now it doesn't matter," Arshavin said as he stood outside the Emirates Stadium holding an Arsenal No. 23 shirt with his name on it. "I'm a Gunner. I'm happy to be at Arsenal. I like Arsenal's style. I like Arsene Wenger as a coach. I like some of the players from this team."

Arsenal said Arshavin signed a long-term contract but the fee was not disclosed.

Zenit said the player had signed a 3½ year deal and the transfer fee was around 15 million pounds ($21.3 million; 16.6 million).

"We are delighted to have signed Andrei Arshavin. He is a player I have admired for a long time," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose fifth-place team has fallen 10 points behind Manchester United in the Premier League title race.

"He is a versatile player with great experience, who will add real quality to our squad. Andrei is an exciting impact player with a huge amount of ability and has been an influential force with both Zenit St. Petersburg and the Russian national team in recent seasons."

Arshavin is not eligible for Champions League games with Arsenal, having played for Zenit in the group stages. Arsenal is due to host AS Roma in the first leg of the first knockout round on Feb 24.

Arshavin is also unlikely to play against north London neighbor Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday. He has been idle since the Russian season finished in November.

"I might be on Friday or Saturday, but I'm not fit now," he said. "It will be decided by Arsene whether I can play or not."

The Russian is Arsenal's lone signing in the transfer window, with Wenger happy to rely on the young players he has groomed at the club.

Arshavin flew to London on Sunday evening and spent Monday having medical checks at Arsenal, then hanging around at his hotel waiting for news.

As the transfer window passed and there was no sign of a Gunners announcement, Arsenal fans who had waited outside the Emirates Stadium feared the worst.

Although Zenit officials said Monday the star had moved to the north London club, there were concerns about whether the deal had been registered with the Premier League before the late afternoon deadline.

On Tuesday, a few dozen Arsenal fans stood in slush behind barricades outside Emirates Stadium to get a first glimpse of Arshavin. He signed autographs and shook hands with fans, some of whom already were wearing Arsenal shirts with the Russian's name on the back.

Arshavin smiled as he posed for photos with fans, and while his English was broken, he has already picked up on Arsenal's nickname. He pronounced it as "Gooner," the common vernacular used by Arsenal fans.

Associated Press writer Frank Griffiths contributed to this report.