SCOUTING REPORT: Exactly how will Marouane Chamakh fit in at Arsenal?

The Spotter — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:19:00 GMT

Arsenal have this evening finally done what we all knew they eventually would and completed the signing of Morocco star Marouane Chamakh.

The deal brings a close to over a year of speculation which has seen the striker linked with, among others, Tottenham, Sunderland, West Ham, Blackburn and Fulham.

Here is our Scouting Report in the new darling of the Emirates...

Marouane Chamakh
Date of Birth: 10th January 1984 (26 years old)
Nationality: Moroccan/French
Position: Forward
Career games: 293 Goals: 79

Career History: In January 2003 Chamakh made his first appearance in the Bordeaux first team during a League Cup match against Metz.

He played in his first Ligue 1 match a month later and went on to play ten matches alongside Portuguese striker Pauleta in the second half of 2002/03, scoring one goal.

Although he was born in France, Chamakh was selected to play for the Morocco national team in June 2003, and has gone on to play over 50 times for the national team. In his eight seasons at Stade Chaban Delmas, Chamakh scored 55 goals in 227 Ligue 1 outings, scoring a further 24 in 66 cup and European matches.

His best season was 2008/09, where his 13 goals helped les Girondins to their first Ligue 1 title in a decade.

Playing Style: A strong but elegant player, Chamakh plays just off the shoulder of the last man in the opposition defence. His aerial ability usually sees him labelled as a target man, but to coin the painful cliche, 'he's got a good touch for a big man', and is more than just a target for long punts up field or balls lobbed into the box.

In the past he had played with a big centre forward alongside him, but his recent success has come playing as the lone striker in Bordeaux’s attack, with an attacking midfielder or withdrawn forward laying off of him - it's not hard to see how he could possibly slot in ahead of Robin van Persie, Andrei Arshavin and co.

Strengths: The Morocco striker provides a massive aerial threat, which is something the Gunners haven't possessed in quite the same degree since Emmanuel Adebayor's departured the Emirates Stadium last summer.

He combines his excellent heading ability with great jumping, strength and agility - he certainly won't be found wanting when it came to the Premier League's more physical fixtures.

Weakness: In the past he’s been accused of trying to over-complicate play, even trying to tee-up team-mates when it would be easier to just go for goal himself (another reason he could fit in well at Arsenal...). He seems to gradually be eradicating this from his game, however could still benefit from working on his reading of the game and positional awareness.

But if anybody can drill that into him, it's Arsene Wenger.

Talentspotter ratings:
• Shooting 7.3
• Passing 6.5
• Heading 9.4
• Tackling 3.5
• Pace 7.8
• Work-rate 8.3
• Crossing 4.1
• Creativity 6.0
• Dribbling 7.9
• Overall 8.0

NEWS: Arsenal complete Chamakh signing

“If I had to choose one club, it would be Arsenal”

The Spotter — Fri, 14 May 2010 11:30:00 GMT

FourFourTwo.com's James Horncastle on a young French midfielder currently being compared to Manchester City's former Arsenal star Patrick Vieria, who is aready said to be attracting the attention of Arsene Wenger, Harry Redknapp and Sir Alex Ferguson...

Name Moussa Sissoko
Age 20
Position Midfield
Nationality French
Club Toulouse
Games 118 Goals 15

Having just returned from a routine scouting mission to Paris eight years ago, Toulouse’s chief scout, Daniel Martinez, literally burst through the club’s doors.

“I said: ‘I’m back and I think I have found a star!’” he remembers. “I got teased about it, but nevermind.”

The 12-year-old boy who had turned Martinez into an office joke was Moussa Sissoko, the son of a Malian footballer. When the prestigious magazine France Football named Sissoko as the Revelation of 2009 last December, Martinez was entitled to ask: “Who’s laughing now?”

An ever-present in the Toulouse side since an assured first start against Lyon in 2007, Sissoko, now 20, has already amassed more than 100 appearances in Ligue 1.

“Being with Toulouse allowed me to have my chance very soon,” he enthused. “They are a club that focuses on youth.”

In touch with his Malian roots, Sissoko grew up idolizing Mahamadou Diarra, but his sometimes awkward-looking playing style has led to comparisons with Arsenal and France legend Patrick Vieira.

Coincidentally, Sissoko is currently ahead of the Manchester City player in the pecking order for the France squad.

“It’s there for all to see, he is performing for his club,” Raymond Domenech said after calling him up for the first time in August 2009.

Six goals in his first 13 games this season only served to increase interest in Sissoko, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United all linked with a move for the midfielder over the past 12 months.

Manchester United may seek a player of Sissoko's ilk to replace Owen Hargreaves, who has struggled with injuries for over two years, generally leaving Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick as the only senior defensive-minded midfielders at Old Trafford. Spurs meanwhile, may wish to add more steel and energy to a central midfield which is at times a bit static, especially with White Hart Lane set to host Champions League football next season. However Sissoko already seems to have a fairly good idea where he'd like to play...

“If I had to chose a club,” he mused, “it would be Arsenal.”

Vieira’s Gunners legacy should consider itself under threat.

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The Talentspotter : Arsenal

SCOUTING REPORT: Exactly how will Marouane Chamakh fit in at Arsenal?

“If I had to choose one club, it would be Arsenal”