10 Premier League Flops Who Could Become World Cup 2014 Stars

6. Gervinho - Cote d'Ivoire

One of a long line of highly regarded promising young forwards signed by Arsene Wenger to partner Robin van Persie in the Arsenal attack, Gervinho arrived at Ashburton Grove in the summer of 2011 for a hefty £10.8 million fee. As a pacy wide forward playing for Lille in France Gervinho had scored 15 times the previous season, helping his club to their first Ligue 1 title in over 50 years. His Premier League debut was inauspicious, Gervinho was sent off for violent conduct when slapping Newcastle's Joey Barton. From then on he never looked comfortable or confident in an Arsenal shirt. In two years at the Emirates Gervinho's total goals in all competitions failed to match his league goals in that one final season at Lille. In all the Ivorian forward made 63 appearances for the Gunners and only managed 11 goals. Since being sold last summer to Roma at a loss of around £3 million, however, Gervinho has rediscovered his best form. With 9 goals and 10 assists in 33 Serie A games Gervinho was instrumental in the club's strong second place finish. Manager Rudi Garcia, who Gervinho played under at Lille and who brought him to Roma, has observed that Gervinho is very much a confidence player and at the moment his confidence is sky high, which bodes well for him at the World Cup. As if to indicate just the kind of confidence Gervinho has right now, the forward scored the winning goal in Cote d'Ivoire's final warm up friendly last week against El Salvador. Perhaps opponents who are looking for the threat to come from the more established Premier League great Didier Drogba will be surprised by Gervinho.