Barcelona have entered the race to sign Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh on a free transfer, according to Spanish radio station Radio Cadena SER. Yesterday evening the radio station reported that the Catalan giants were looking secure the signing of Chamakh as competition for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and are willing to go head-to-head with Arsene Wenger for the player's signature.
Liverpool were rumoured to have signed a pre-contract agreement with Chamakh, however, those reports have now be denied by the club and the race to sign the talented forward is still open. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was close to securing a deal for the striker during the summer, but the deal eventually collapsed after the North London club refused to match Bordeaux’s valuation of the forward. Knowing that Chamakh can be secured for free, thrifty Wenger reneged on his initial offer choosing instead to rely on the newly fit Eduardo da Silva and improving Nicklas Bendtner.
The Bordeaux forward recently admitted that he will stay at the French club until the end of the season but will announce at the end of January which club he will joining next summer. Arsene Wenger’s Gunners are thought to be leading the chase for the 25-year-old and have accepted that any move will not take place until the summer when Chamakh is available on a free.
Rafael Benitez is also interested in luring the Ligue 1 star to England although with continued fitness worries surrounding Fernando Torres, and the increased pressure to make the to four, Benitez maybe forced to sign a fit striker this month.
However the news that Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola has entered the race could lure Chamakh to La Liga.
“I’d like my situation to be fixed quickly, both for me and the club,” Chamakh told RMC Radio.
“If I’m not staying I want the club [Bordeaux] to have time to replace me. I’m still thinking about it, it’s not an easy decision which you take on a whim.
“I still have two to three weeks to sort things out. Whatever happens, by the end of January I will five my answer to president Jean-Louis Triaud before speaking to the media.”