Gervinho arrives - has he got a passport?...

Last updated : 11 July 2011 By Chris Parry

Let's hope that this lad is the real deal. He's obviously been on the Wenger radar for some years having followed the same route to Europe as Emmanuel Eboue.

Here's the statement from the club:

Arsenal Football Club announces that Ivory Coast international forward Gervinho will shortly join the Gunners, subject to a regulatory process.
 
Gervinho, 24, will arrive at Arsenal from French side Lille, who he helped to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double last season with 15 goals in 40 games.
 
The campaign capped a very successful two years for Gervinho, during which time he netted 28 times in his 67 appearances for Les Gogues. Before joining Lille, Gervinho enjoyed two seasons with Le Mans, also in Ligue 1.
 
On the international stage, Gervinho captained the Ivory Coast in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and also represented his country at the 2010 World Cup, scoring twice in just three substitute appearances during qualification to the finals. To date, Gervinho has made 27 appearances in total for Les Eléphants, scoring six goals.
 
The forward came through the same Ivorian youth academy - ASEC Mimosas - as Emmanuel Eboue, before following in the right-back’s footsteps to join Belgian side KSK Beveren.