Arsene Wenger’s search for attacking reinforcements continues to gather pace with the news now circulating that Ivory Coast man Salomon Kalou has been in talks with the Arsenal boss. The forward was released by Chelsea this summer following their Champions League triumph in Munich, which means he is available on a free.

However, this “free” status will likely mean Kalou will be seeking a high salary, with the Mirror estimating that figure at £70,000-a-week. This means a number of highly-paid second-string players will have to be moved along in order to make the deal a reality, with Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela, Denilson and Seb Squillaci players cited by the paper, though Park Ju-Young and Marouane Chamakh will likely also be among those told to find new clubs.

Kalou joined Chelsea from Feyenoord in 2006 for approximately £9 million, though he rarely commanded a starting place in the side and found appearances even harder to come by last season – featuring only 12 times in the league, even if he did appear from the bench in the club’s Champions League final win against Bayern. Though he could prove a shrewd acquisition for The Gunners: at 26 years-old the pacy winger might have his best years ahead of him.

Wenger has recruited from Chelsea several times in recent seasons, most recently bringing in Yossi Benayoun on loan last season – but Lassana Diarra and William Gallas have also served time at both London clubs.

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