Djourou wants Italian switch

It would be fair to say that Johan Djourou hasn’t enjoyed the best career at Arsenal, despite arriving with such high hopes back in 2003. It would now appear as though the Switzerland international is bidding to call time on his Gunners career, with his agent revealing that his client is looking for a switch to Italy or Spain – although preferably the former.

Having been picked up by Arsenal’s academy as just a teenager, Djourou progressed through Arsenal’s ranks to eventually make his first team appearance in 2004. However, a succession of injuries and poor form has meant that the 25-year-old has always struggled to hold a regular place in the Gunners’ starting eleven, being limited to just seventy two league starts since his breakthrough. Having also started just twelve games in the Premier League last term, Djourou seems to have given up on his Emirates Stadium career and has instructed his agent to find him a new club.

His agent, Flavio Ferraria, said, “I saw my client the other day and he was enthusiastic about both Napoli and Italy in general. So far we have received an offer worth £10m. At the moment Napoli are not on the list of appointments but everything is possible. If he leaves the Premier League he will play in Italy or Spain. He wants to play for one of the top five Italian clubs.”

Should the Gunners manage to recoup the reported £10m figure, it would certainly represent a superb piece of business for a player who has never been considered as a regular for Arsene Wenger. With Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud poised to make a £13m switch to the Emirates Stadium in the very near future, the sale of Djourou would practically offset the Frenchman’s signature and would allow Wenger to strengthen his squad in other areas.

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