"I'm in Marseille, it is already big for me," Ayew told French sports daily L'Equipe. "But there is everything [at Arsenal]. The stadium, the players, the training ground, the budget and the image of the club that makes a lot of players dream."
The Ghanaian international plays in France at Olympique Marseille. He's been one of French soccer's hottest properties since breaking into the team in the 2009-10 season. He powered L'OM to the Ligue 1 championship, scoring 11 goals in 37 games.
He was Ghana's captain during its march to the 2009 U-20 World Championship. He also played five games in the senior national team's run to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup.
It is believed Arsenal is his primary suitor, though manager Arsene Wenger tried to cool speculation after the two teams' recent meeting in the UEFA Champions League. Reports have the player valued around £9 million ($14.3 million). Inter Milan could table a £12 million ($19.1 million) bid in January.
Ayew could be eyeing a move to a top club in a higher profile league. Marseille's start to this season has been almost as bad as Arsenal's. It has only won two of 11 league games. Supporters and a club official have criticized manager Didier Deschamps and the World Cup winner could lose his job if results don't improve in the near future.
It's reasonable to think Ayew would be more open to leaving his first professional club if it fires the man who gave him his big break.
Photo courtesy of Flickr/michaelguibert
