Werder Bremen have confirmed the exit of Portugal Under-21 international Amaury Bischoff, clearing the way for a move to Arsenal.
The midfielder turned down the offer of an extension to his contract with the Bundesliga club, and has claimed he is close to completing a switch to Emirates Stadium.
However, in line with club policy, there will be no official comment from the Gunners until any transfer has been formally completed - with long-term target Samir Nasri having prematurely announced his move last week.
German side Werder Bremen, though, have confirmed one of their most highly-rated players has decided to look for a "new challenge".
Werder's managing director Klaus-Dieter Fischer said on their official website: "We would be happy to have Amaury, but he has decided to take up a new challenge.
"We wish him well and thank him for the past three years."
Bischoff, who can play either in the centre of midfield or on the right, believes working under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger can only enhance his game, having suffered from some injury problems last season.
"Bremen was superb, but Arsenal is a huge opportunity for me," he told German newspaper Bild.
"Wenger has known me since my time at Strasbourg and believes in my quality. He trusts me to be in the first team.
"Wenger has not put me under any pressure. He said, 'Take all the time you need."'
Bischoff, however, needs to be patient if his dream move to is to Arsenal come off, with Wenger having plenty occupying his 'To Do' list when returning to work ahead of pre-season training.
The futures of both leading scorer Emmanuel Adebayor and winger Alexander Hleb need to be sorted one way or another, with AC Milan and Barcelona respectively ready to offer lucrative terms.
While Wenger has made it clear he does not intend for anyone else to leave Arsenal - with Mathieu Flamini having walked out on a free transfer - the Frenchman also knows there is no point holding on to a player whose commitment is not 100% to the Gunners cause.
Nevertheless, Wenger has never been one to make moves in the transfer market just for the sake of it, determined to add only "super quality" to his already talented young squad.
Villarreal midfielder Marcos Senna - who along with Gunners star Cesc Fabregas - helped guide Spain to success at Euro 2008 would certainly fit that bill.
Former Arsenal defender Pascal Cygan, now at Villarreal, believes it would be a good piece of business.
"I have heard that Arsenal are interested in him," Cygan told Radio Monte Carlo. "That proves how good he is, as they rarely make mistakes.
"Senna is Villarreal's best player, he is sharp, starts all the plays, and is more technically gifted than most players at his position.
"He had a massive impact on Spain's European victory and improved a lot as a player in the last two seasons."作者: jacksonkua 時間: 2008-7-4 10:07 PM
