Marouane Chamakh's Arsenal-bound?

The circular nature of the endless cycle of transfer gossip is in full evidence this Friday as many of the papers latch onto old quotes from Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh to spice up a story linking Fulham and Arsenal with the want-away forward.

According to a report in The Times today,

“the Morocco player has refused to extend his contract, which has one year left, and he claims to have a buyouclause of £7 million.”

Back at the end of May many media outlets carried Chamakh’s soundbite that:

“I want to play in the Premier League and a club like Arsenal would be a dream. If they were to come calling, I would certainly give them a positive answer.”

The consensus opinion at the time though was that The Professor was uninterested in answering Chamakh’s come-and-get-me pleas..

Today however, with the fifth estate presuming fans collectively suffer from short-term memory loss, the quotes are freshly spun in order to give way to a juicy tale of a battle of London clubs for the attacker’s signature. The truth remains though that very little has changed in three weeks, and the likelihood of the Gunners making such a move for the striker appears slim to remote.

But that is not to say that the links to Fulham are complete folly. The Cottagers continue to scourer for new striking options as the prepare for a jam-packed season including involvement in the Europa League on top of their domestic responsibilities. Without question the West Londoners require extra firepower up-front, and Chamakh could definitely fit the bill.


Having come through the ranks at Bordeaux, 25-year-old Moroccan international Chamakh has become a pivotal figure for both his club and country. Known particularly for his blistering pace, Chamakh also has excellent ball and dribbling skills as well as boasting a strong aerial ability.

That said, Chamakh’s start to the 2008/09 season got off to a stuttering start with the striker only bagged five goals in the first five months of the campaign. However, since the turn of the year Chamakh’s form improve, with the forward eventually closing out the season with 14 goals in 42 appearances, together with three assists. Internationally, Chamakh has represented Morocco since 2003, playing 50 games and scoring 15 goals.

Enough talk. This, folks, is the man in action.

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