Viola deny Chamakh approach

Marouane Chamakh: Has tumbled down the attacking pecking order at Arsenal

Fiorentina have denied lodging a bid for Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh, with the striker's salary putting him out of their price bracket.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger claimed the Serie A outfit had made a move for the out-of-favour Morocco international.

A lack of opportunities at Emirates Stadium, coupled with Arsenal's attacking transfer business this summer, suggests Chamakh's two-year stay in North London could be coming to an end.

Fiorentina, though, insist they have made no approach for the 28-year-old forward.

Deals

Sporting director Daniele Prade told SportItalia: "Have we made an offer for Chamakh? We have not made one because he earns 3million euros (per season)."

Prade has, however, confirmed that Chamakh's international strike partner Mounir El Hamdaoui will soon complete a switch to Florence from Dutch champions Ajax.

"We hope to complete El Hamdaoui's transfer tomorrow (Wednesday)," he said.

"He is a striker that our coach (Vincenzo Montella) likes a lot."