Gervinho has finally sealed a move away from the Emirates Stadium after signing for AS Roma, ending an inconsistent spell at the club which brought him over from French club Lille with high expectations.
Arsene Wenger will be concerned about his striking options for next season, after seeing multiple reserve strikers leave the club for greener pastures. While the departures have been consistent, though not from the core of the starting eleven, all has not been well on the buying front, with the club unable to cope with other European giants to afford wages. Ironically, the club are on a steady financial footing, and are yet conservative in their approach to sign new players who will naturally be attracted by better deals elsewhere. The club have been resting on their laurels a bit too much, and have paid so far, with no high-profile signings, while all other clubs in the Barclays Premier League, never-mind the top six, strengthen by bringing in new players from different clubs.
Gervinho’s time at Arsenal can be described as short on success, as the Ivorian came into the Premier League with a style of play like none other, which caught the league’s defenders off guard in his first season in England. However, with modern tactics and statistics available about player’s movements, opposition managers have been successful in tracking the movement of Gervinho to help their defenders cut all possible moves. The 26-year old has a knack of receiving the ball out wide on the flanks, and cutting through defenders using quick feet and impressive power and pace. However, it was not long before the opposition blocked his passage on the wings, and left no room for cutting through into the penalty area.
Having said that, the switch to Roma came as a surprise to many. But the presence of manager Rudi Garcia, who managed Gervinho in his successful days at Lille, explains the move.
According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal revealed the completion of Gervinho’s switch on their official website, thanking him for his contributions.
The statement read: “Everyone at Arsenal would like to thank Gervinho for his contribution to the club and wish him well for his future career.”