The Moroccan international striker has ended prolonged negotiations by agreeing a long term contract.

The former Bordeaux player will be a welcome addition to a strong attacking line-up and Wenger was pleased to be able to announce the first signing of the summer:

"Chamakh is a striker of real quality and has all the attributes suited to come to England and do very well. He is also a fighter, not only a good football player, but a fighter as well. He is very good in the air and also a good team player. He is a great addition to our squad.�?

From the limited number of games we have seen him play, a crude analysis would be to describe the 26 year old as a cross between Niklas Bendtner and Robin van Persie. He has a good record of scoring headers, is able to hold up play well and also has subtle footwork and impressive acceleration. He will wear the number 29 as he did at Bordeaux and Chamakh appeared to be delighted to have finally secured a move to the Grove:

“Without any hesitation, Arsenal was my preferred club. The team and history of Arsenal, they make me dream. I will give my best to this Club, the Club that I used to support. We have many great players at Arsenal and I will be giving everything to help the team win trophies next season.�?

The club must have been relieved to be able to announce some positive news amid all of the speculation surrounding our captain but the signing of Chamakh will mean little for our progression unless Fabregas is also convinced that the manager will continue to make the right moves in the transfer market.

If a goalkeeper and centre back can also be bought along with an announcement that Fabregas is staying then the future suddenly looks extremely promising. Man Utd and Chelsea do not appear to be in the market to strengthen significantly and could feasibly decline further next year so we could surge away from the pack. This is the argument that will be used in the Fabregas negotiations too but the manager needs to back it up with some concrete deals.

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