Gervinho Finally Playing for the Gunners?

Gervais Yao Kouassi, more commonly known as Gervinho, is a 24-year old Ivorian international who shot OSC Lille to the Ligue Une title last year with 15 goals and 11 assists. With his contract running out at the end of next year, Lille will make sure that they do not let the offensive all-rounder walk away for free. Arsenal seems to be the front-runners in signing the speedy, technically gifted forward.

He can play up top, right behind the forwards, or in the attacking midfield role, but is more successful as a winger, where he can often find himself one v. one against defenders using his speed and technial abilities. He started his professional footballing career in 2004 when he came to Belgium from the Ivory Coast in the youth system of KSK Beveren.  Beveren gave Gervinho his opportunity to make it as a professional footballer, like it has done for many Ivorians. Yaya Toure (Man City), Yapi Yapo (FC Basel), Arthur Boka (VfB Stuttgart), Romaric (FC Sevilla), Emmanuel Eboue (FC Arsenal) are some of the Ivorians that have came through the club to go on bigger clubs throughout Europe.

After a year in the youth system at Beveren, he would earn a spot in the first team and played with them for two years before his transfer to RC Lens for 650.000 Euros, where he would spend another two years. Add another zero to that transfer fee (6.500.000) and that is what OSC Lille had to pay for the young Ivorian at the time. He would prove that he is more than capable of playing at the highest level and even made the Ivorian national team, where he would play in the 2010 World Cup. 

His exposure at the World Cup expanded his opportunities to play football at an even higher level. Immediately, Gervinho was linked to Arsenal who has been trying to sign the attacker for several years now. This may be the summer they complete the deal, but he is worth 16.000.000 Euros, according to transfermarkt.de. He plays a lot like Thierry Henry does as a winger, receiving the ball by the sideline and using his sheer talent to force it in the middle where he can create mismatches to either shoot or make the final deadly pass for a goal.

Is this the summer where Gervinho will find himself wearing the Gunners jersey?