Gervinho

Gervais Lombe Yao Kouassi better known as Gervinho, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a forward for English Premier League club Arsenal. He began his career in the famed ASEC Abidjan youth academy, where he spent five years before moving to Ivorian Deuxieme Division Zone Four side Toumodi F.C., where he turned professional. Gervinho played for two seasons at Belgian side Beveren, where he made 61 appearances for the club and scored 14 goals. On 21 July 2009, Gervinho joined Lille for a reported fee of about €6 million on a three-year contract. Gervinho scored 13 times in 32 appearances in his debut season for the club. On 12 July 2011 Gervinho completed a transfer from Lille to Arsenal for a fee believed to be around £10.8 million. Gervinho has also captained Côte d\'Ivoire at U21 level. He represented his country at the 2008 Olympic tournament where he was captain.