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Football

17th Aug 2018

Former Arsenal flop joins Parma from Chinese Super League club

The player only managed two seasons at Arsenal before he was shipped off to Roma, and he's back in Serie A, this time at Parma

Reuben Pinder

He only lasted two years at the Emirates

Former Arsenal winger Gervinho has joined Parma, who have just returned to Serie A after financial problems sent them tumbling down the leagues. The winger has signed a three year contract with the club, keeping him there until 2021.

Gervinho joined Arsenal in 2011 after winning Ligue 1 with Lille in a side that also featured Eden Hazard. As it turned out, Arsenal bought the wrong winger, as Gervinho’s inconsistent and sometimes comical performances led to him being sold in 2013 to Roma.

The Ivory Coast international picked up form in Italy, before moving to Hebei China Fortune for reasons unknown. But he’s back in Italy, having signed for Parma.

The Italian side are very much a sleeping giant – a shadow of the 1990s team that featured the likes of Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon and Juan Sebastian Veron.

The most notable names in their squad now include Bruno Alves, who left Rangers this summer, and Jonathan Biabiany, who never managed to sustain a run in the team at Inter Milan.