Djourou prepared to fill void

Djourou: Limited opportunities

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Johan Djourou has offered his services to Arsene Wenger next season as a midfielder.

The Swiss international is a centre-half by trade, but having found first-team opportunities hard to come by at Arsenal he is prepared to try his hand at a role further up the field.

With Mathieu Flamini having left the Gunners for Milan, Wenger must now decide who will partner Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the park next year.

Brazilian duo Gilberto Silva and Denilson are ready-made replacements in the holding role, but Djourou is adamant that he too could adapt his game to fill the void.

System

"Playing in front of the defence is the position where my qualities are expressed best," he told Tribune de Geneve.

"Arsene Wenger says this to me too. Unfortunately, we do not play a system which enables me to hold this spot, like Claude Makelele does with Chelsea.

"I have not had many possibilities of showing my midfield capabilities. I hope my chance will come in the next few years."

Physio

Meanwhile, Neal Reynolds has joined Arsenal from Norwich as an assistant physio to Gary Lewin.

The Canaries were keen to retain Reynolds' services but were forced to accept that the lure of working in the Premier League was too great.

"Neal is an excellent physio and we would have liked to have kept him," Glenn Roeder told Norwich's official website.

"However, this is a good opportunity for him and we wish him all the best."