Arsenal flop Gervinho joins Roma
He started his professional career with Belgian outfit Beveren and then had stints with French teams Le Mans and Lille, where he won the Ligue 1 title in his second season with the club before joining Arsenal in 2011.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: August 08, 2013 11:19 PM IST
Gervinho ended his disappointing spell at Arsenal on Thursday as the Ivory Coast striker joined Roma for an undisclosed fee.
The 26-year-old scored just 11 goals in his two years with the Premier League club and failed to convince boss Arsene Wenger he was worthy of a regular place in the Gunners' forward line.
When Roma made their bid, reported to be in the region of 8 million euros (£6.8 million, $10 million), Wenger quickly agreed the deal and Gervinho flew to Italy last weekend to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms.
He will link up with Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who he played for earlier in his career at Lille.
"Gervinho has joined Italian Serie A side AS Roma for an undisclosed fee," a statement on Arsenal's website confirmed.
"Everyone at Arsenal would like to thank Gervinho for his contribution to the club and wish him well for his future career."
Before his frustrating stay with the Gunners, Gervinho, who learnt his trade at the famous ASEC Abidjan academy in his homeland, had been a player on the rise.
He started his professional career with Belgian outfit Beveren and then had stints with French teams Le Mans and Lille, where he won the Ligue 1 title in his second season with the club before joining Arsenal in 2011.