Arsenal told to pay 12m for Chamakh
BORDEAUX have told Arsenal to double their £6m offer for Marouane Chamakh or forget about signing the Morocco striker.
Chamakh, 25, is furious at his club’s hard-line stance and is threatening to leave for nothing next summer when his contract expires.
But the French champions’ president Jean-Louis Triaud is determined that their prize asset will not be sold on the cheap. And having seen Saint Etienne get almost £13m from Lyon for forward Bafetimbi Gomis, Triaud wants a similar fee to relinquish Chamakh.
“We said we would facilitate his transfer to a big club. But if Gomis is worth €15m £12.8m, Marouane is worth at least as much,” said Triaud. “Arsenal made an offer of €7m £6m on Monday. Since then I have not had any contact with them. It is up to them to decide.”
Chamakh pulled out of Bordeaux’s Sunday friendly against Villarreal, citing sickness, amid reports he had flown to London in the hope of sealing a switch. He blasted his club for sabotaging his dream move, warning them it would not be in their interests to stand in his way.
“I am angry, I am disgusted and I do not understand why they have done that,” said Chamakh. “One thing is certain, I will not be signing a new contract – if they will not let me go now, I will leave for free.
“If a solution cannot be found quickly, everyone will lose. Frankly, I really do not want to start the season with Bordeaux.”
Meanwhile midfielder Tomas Rosicky has hit back at former Gunner Kolo Toure’s claims that they have sold too many senior players.
“I don’t think the best players have left,” he said. “We have still got Andrey Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas and they are still great players. I don’t see why we should be afraid of anyone.”