Gervinho joins Arsenal

Ivory Coast international Gervinho is determined to take his game to another level at Arsenal under the guidance of Arsene Wenger.

The 24-year-old forward yesterday completed his transfer from Lille, for what is understood to be an 11 million fee, and will link up with the rest of the squad who have returned from a successful Asia tour.

Gervinho caught the eye of plenty of Barclays Premier League clubs as his 18 goals helped Lille win a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France title double. But the Ivory Coast forward says the chance to work with manager Wenger was too good an opportunity to miss once Arsenal's interest was confirmed. "When you are young, you always want to improve, to work with great managers - and Wenger is one of the best in the world," said Gervinho. "I think that with him, I will become a much better player and he was very important in my choice to sign here. I came here because I believe that he can improve my game and help me reach another level, but the most important thing for me is that I bring a lot to the team."

Meanwhile, Brazilian midfielder Denilson is set to spend next season on loan at former club Sao Paulo. The 23-year-old struggled to hold down a regular place in Wenger's side.

Denilson said: "I will be playing in Brazil next season as I felt that this is a good opportunity for me to play regular first-team football."