Juande Ramos, who was appointed the new boss of the club, is still keen on signing the 27-year-old striker that he failed to sign while at Tottenham.
Arshavin said: “I can confirm that officials from Zenit have begun preliminary negotiations with Real Madrid about my transfer.
“At the moment there is nothing concrete on the table. Also, there is contact with other Spanish clubs, as well as Italian and English clubs.”