According to reports Arsenal are set to table a bid for Lille striker Salomon Kalou.
The 28 year old Ivorian forward was formerly with Chelsea, and left for France to join Lille in 2012 on a free transfer.
He was linked to Arsenal during the January transfer window when it was thought Arsene Wenger would bring in a striker to complement Oliver Giroud.
However, it was believed that the asking price of Lille at the time made Arsenal to abandon the deal, but this new report claims that Lille are willing to sell for a price as low as £3 million for a player that scored 16 league goals last season for the club that finished third in the French Ligue 1.
What is clear is that no summer is complete if there is no Salomon Kalou link to Arsenal.
The Ivorian was linked severally to Arsenal when he was at Feyenoord in Holland before he joined Chelsea in 2006. The circle repeated itself every summer when he was still at Chelsea, and now this particular report.
The reports smacks of an agent planting stories in the press about his client or better still is work an over zealous journalist recycling Salomon Kalou to Arsenal stories that has become a normal theme every summer transfer window.
If Arsene Wenger actually had a plan to sign him, it was when he was available on a free transfer two years ago and not now when the Frenchman would have to pay a fee to bring in him to the Emirates.
Besides, the transfer policy at Arsenal has changed since last summer, as the club’s financial situation has changed, what is clear from the transfer business of the club is that Arsene Wenger would rather bring in a player that is seen as a mark improvement on what he has, and he would not buy for the sake of buying which the case of Salomon Kalou would have showed.
He is not an improvement on what the club has at the moment, and going by the fact he is older (28) than the forward at the club, which makes it improbable that he, has ever been in Arsene Wenger’s plans.
One thing that is clear is that Arsene Wenger would always consider the African Cup of Nations before signing any African player.
The biennial tournament takes place early next year, and le prof would certainly not have brought in a player who would be unavailable for two months in the season, especially when the experience of past players whose form were affected by AFCON are considered, a la Kolo Toure, Gervinho and Emmanuel Eboue.
The question that should be asked from this link is if Arsene Wenger never considered signing Salomon Kalou when he was at his peak, would he consider signing him now?
Something to ponder when taking in yet another Salomon Kalou to Arsenal stories from the press.
