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Abu Dhabi club Al-Jazira have pulled out of a deal to sign former Arsenal winger Gervinho after his “obscene” personal demands derailed the move.
The Roma winger insisted on both a private beach and a helicopter as part of the £10 million switch, according to Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport. The two clubs were believed to have reached a deal for the signing of the 28-year-old but those requirements, along with an unknown number of plane tickets to the Ivory Coast caused Al-Jazira to pull the plug.
Arsenal fans may well say that the UAE Pro League side have got lucky there, with the abiding memory of many being when the Ivorian missed an open goal in the Gunners’ shock League Cup quarter-final defeat to Bradford City in 2012.
Roma paid £8 million to end Gervinho’s disappointing Emirates spell in 2013 but, although he started brightly for the Giallorossi, the club are believed to be eager to get the striker’s wages off their books as they look to comply with UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.
The forward will now return for pre-season training in Italy.
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