Gervinho nears Arsenal exit as Marseille confirm interest in winger



Marseille have confirmed their interest in signing Arsenal striker Gervinho.

The 26-year-old Ivory Coast international cost Arsenal £11m from Lille and has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League.

Marseille assistant coach Franck Passi said: 'This is a profile that interests us, yes. We want flank players, with dribbling, passing and scoring and Gervinho has this profile.'

Sidelines: Gervinho has shown glimmers of brilliance but not consistent performances at Arsenal

Since signing for Arsenal in 2011, Gervinho has only scored 11 goals for the North London club, far below his fellow winger Theo Walcott who has 32 in that space of time.

With Arsene Wenger ready to spend up to £70 million in the transfer window, Gervinho could be replaced by a big money signing, with the likes Fiorentina's Steven Jovetic and Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain possibly coming through the door.

Gervinho could already be far down the pecking order next season with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain likely to get more opportunities in the first team.