According to French publication Le 10 Sport, Arsenal have finally tabled a formal bid for Lyon’s Clement Grenier while Marseille are planning talks with Gervinho in the coming days.

In an ‘exclusive’ the paper claims the Gunners offered below €10 million for French international Grenier earlier in this week but that OL president Jean-Michel Aulas rejected the bid.

Stressing that the ball is now back in Arsenal’s court, the report also claims it’s up to Arsene Wenger to raise the stakes even though the 22-year-old midfielder has only one year left on his contract at the Stade de Gerland.

Le 10 Sport were the first to pick up the baton on the Gervinho to Marseille story a few weeks ago, added to their case by asking the club’s assistant coach Franck Passi about the player, and maintain that the story still has legs.

Apparently Marseille sporting director, Jose Anigo, contacted our Ivorian winger as far back as May about a possible move and that contact has been maintained ever since. The latest development sees talks set for next week between Gerv’s representatives and president Vincent Labrune.Apparently.

Taking each report at face value it’s clear neither deal is close to being done.

Reading between the lines, with the wariness you’ve come to expect at Arseblog News, they appear to represent little more than another drip, in a summer of drip-fed tittle-tattle and as such we continue to reserve judgment. Aside from maintaining it’s probably all poppycock.