Wenger Confirms Fiorentina’s Chamakh Interest

Arsene Wenger has confirmed a story that has been in the papers for many months now. Arsenal’s out of favour striker Marouane Chamakh is a transfer target for Fiorentina.

Having made a bright start to his Arsenal career, scoring goals regularly in his first few months at the Emirates, the goals have dried up for Chamakh since and he has subsequently fallen down the pecking order at the club. With Robin Van Persie’s emergence as main man at the club up front, Chamakh had a quiet second season at the club, scoring just once, in the 4-3 defeat to Blackburn in September 2011.

Despite the fact that Van Persie appears likely to leave the club, Chamakh is very much available this summer. Arsenal have added Lukas Podolski from Cologne and Olivier Giroud from Montpellier up front, which would leave Chamakh in the same position as he was last year, on the bench. Chamakh will want first-team football on a regular basis and he will be more likely to get that in Italy.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reportedly said the following on the situation:

"“Fiorentina requested information on his availability and made an offer”."

Personally I believe that Chamakh is a good player. When he was the main man at Arsenal (when Van Persie was injured in his first few months at the club) he scored goals for fun. If you play to his strengths (mainly heading balls in) he will be a good player for you. That isn’t really Arsenal’s style. I wish Chamakh all the best should he leave, he may have been a flop, but at least he worked when he was on the pitch still.