Ivory Coast forward Gervinho expected in Greece to complete transfer to Aris Thessaloniki

Ivory Coast forward Gervinho is set to sign for his ninth club after agreeing to join Greek side Aris Thessaloniki this summer following his one season with Turkish Super Lig champions Trabzonspor.

The former Arsenal attacker, who played for the Gunners between 2011 and 2013, had to deal with a number of injuries in his time in Turkey, managing just 13 appearances in all competitions while scoring two goals.

Gervinho, who won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, suffered a career-threatening anterior cruciate ligament injury in October 2021 which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

He had, however, made just enough appearances for Trabzonspor to earn a winner’s medal, his second career league title after his 2010-11 Ligue 1 crown with Lille.

Gervinho is expected in Greece on Wednesday for his medical after which he will sign a one-year deal with Aris, who finished third in the Greece Super League last season to secure Europa League qualification.

The former AS Roma and Parma attacker is reportedly set to take a significant pay cut to sign for the Greek side where he will earn around £8,000-a-week after pocketing £24,000 weekly in Turkey.

Gervinho could end up partnering former Burnley and Watford striker Andre Gray, who is also set to join the club after being released by the Hornets where he scored 20 goals while providing eight assists in 124 games.

A journeyman, Gervinho has played in France, England, Italy, China and Turkey. Aris will be his ninth club after featuring for two seasons (2005-2007) at Belgian side Waasland-Beveren, where he made 61 appearances for the club and scored 14 goals.

He then moved to France, signing for then Ligue 1 side Le Mans, where he scored nine goals in 59 Ligue 1 appearances before joining Lille in July 2009.

It was at Lille where he established himself, scoring 18 goals in back-to-back seasons, helping Lille to the Ligue 1 title in his second campaign which earned him a big-money move to Arsenal in July 2011.

His spell at Arsenal was, however, not as successful and having managed 11 goals in 63 games for the Gunners, he switched to AS Roma in August 2013. After three years in Rome, another three years followed in China with Hebei China Fortune before another similar period back in Italy with Parma.