Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Gervinho and Chamakh Set to Make Room for Luis Suarez

Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh are heading for the Arsenal exit, according to the BBC, creating plenty of room for Luis Suarez to join the London club.

Gervinho, who signed for around £11 million from Lille, is close to securing a switch to Roma for a reported £6.9 million, whilst Chamakh is set to stay in London, opting for a move to Crystal Palace . Whether Chamakh's move is permanent or a loan move is undecided.

“Gervinho is on a good way to Roma and Chamakh is on a good way to Crystal Palace,” said Arsene Wenger, as reported by the BBC.

Arsenal’s attack looked devoid of ideas in the 2-1 Emirates Cup defeat to Galatasaray on Sunday, with Olivier Giroud the only player to cause the opposition defence problems with his movement.

It was plain for all to see—Arsenal need another attacking option and who better for that role than Suarez.

The Suarez saga has rumbled on for many weeks with Arsenal unwilling to match Liverpool’s valuation.

The striker took part in Liverpool training, and despite a warm reception from fans his agent says he is still set on a move to a side in the Champions League, according to The Telegraph.

Whilst £40 million is not an insulting bid, Suarez is worth more in the current market. His close-touch control, especially when wriggling through the penalty area, can leave defenders clueless. As soon as he gets possession the crowd sense something special is imminent.

His goal tally dramatically improved last season—sandwiched in second place between Robin van Persie and Gareth Bale in the Premier League topscorers charts—and would offer a creative alternative to Arsenal’s current frontline.

If Liverpool sell Suarez, their top-four hopes will likely be over before the season has begun, so they must demand a transfer fee that allows them to replace him. Arsenal need to realise that world-class players command high transfer fees or risk being left behind by the Premier League elite.

With the managerial changes at the three biggest title contenders—Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea—this transfer window was the perfect opportunity for Wenger to capitalise on the instability and assert Arsenal as a dominate force again.

So far, aside from the free transfer of Yaya Sanogo, he’s failed to dip into the market at all.

Wenger knows there’s no rush to sign Suarez as the forward is banned for the first six games following his bite on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, but he risks alienating fans if he doesn’t show more intent in the transfer market.

Letting Gervinho and Chamakh leave the Emirates creates plenty of space for another striker—and all that is stopping that player being Suarez is Arsenal’s stubbornness.