A quick, technical, French-speaking attacking midfielder, new Arsenal forward Gervinho is a typical Arsene Wenger signing. Though a mere 5”10, the Ivorian will still tower over Gunners team-mates Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere. Gervinho, who has only just been confirmed as an Arsenal player despite months of frenzied transfer talk, has been in the game for quite some time, but only now realised his substantial potential under Rudi Garcia, coach at this season’s Ligue 1 champions Lille.
For all Gervinho’s French pedigree however, his name is firmly rooted in the Brazilian world, handed his way at the legendary Ivory Coast ASEC Abidjan youth academy, where a coach from the South American talent factory added an “inho” ending, synonymous with samba stars past. And with pace and skill, combined with a direct style, Gervinho does have something of a wide Brazilian player about him.
Yet it took time to tease this potential out. Upon graduating from the academy, the forward dropped down a level, playing for a second tier side as his obvious talents threatened to bubble along under the surface without ever making itself felt. Gervinho worked at his game though, determined to make the grade, and two years later landed his big break with a move to Belgian outfit Beveren. After a successful stint in a side packed full of countrymen, he finally moved on to Le Mans in France.
On the Sarthe river, the Ivorian flattered to deceive, scoring just 14 times in 67 games, but it is at the newly crowned French champions that Gervinho was a revelation. A scorer of crucial goals at key times last season, the 24-year-old was part of Lille’s fearsome trident up front, alongside Moussa Sow and Eden Hazard. With Sow ending as Ligue 1 top scorer and Hazard picking up France’s Player of the Year accolade, Gervinho’s contribution was easy to overlook. He may not be quite as exciting a talent as Hazard, but nevertheless Gervinho was the only player in the country to reach double figures for both goals scored and created, with 15 and 10 respectively.
But Gervinho made headlines off the pitch in northern France too, copping a fine and 15 month suspended jail sentence for repeatedly driving without a license – London’s underground route must be studied in the Gervinho household – and being charged following an incident in which he hit a motorcyclist after driving past a stop sign. The Ivorian will need to curb this aspect of his personality and ensure that it is what he does on the pitch at the Emirates that fills newspapers.
For all the 24-year-old’s attacking prowess, one attribute often overlooked is his strength. An ability to shrug off challenges and power past defenders is a less heralded part of his game, with his pace and dribbling garnering more attention. And Gervinho is tipped to do well at Arsenal, with former Le Mans technical director Alain Pascalou giving his backing.
“When he was playing for Le Mans, he was young and still had inconsistencies, but since he’s been at Lille he’s shown he is capable of playing at the top level regularly", said Pascalou, adding: "I think Arsenal corresponds to his youth and his mentality and on top of that, you have Arsene Wenger there, who would be like a guide to him, just as Rudi Garcia was at Lille.”
If there is a weakness in the Ivorian’s game, it is his decision making. Ensuring he makes the right pass at the right moment is more important than ever in a team which operates within margins as finely as Arsenal often do on the edge of an opponent’s penalty box. Gervinho has the potential to infuriate at times when making mistakes, but his presence alone often improves the teams he plays in. And in his ability to miss a golden chance and then minutes later take a harder opportunity echoes the play of former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor – but importantly Gervinho has an impressive work ethic. It is this ethic, a willingness to graft, which makes up for his occasional inconsistency; while the Ivorian may make frustrating errors, he is always involved, never shirking his responsibilities and is able to make things happen – an indispensable attribute.
Gervinho has physically arrived at Arsenal, but he must prove his ability to arrive on the big stage too and fulfil his obvious promise at the Emirates. Ultimately, that has been the question asked wherever he has laid his hat.
At Le Mans, the former Beveren man failed to produce the goods his talent foretold he would. At Lille, Gervinho showed this was no illusion and he could indeed excel in a Ligue 1 winning side. The difference between the good and the great in football is usually mental rather than technical, save for exceptional geniuses such as George Best and Diego Maradona. If Gervinho is to finally make good on his potential to succeed at the highest level of all, he must demonstrate that attribute which Arsenal themselves have often been accused of lacking: determination.
