Arsenal swoop for £10m Senegal star - Exclusive

Arsene Wenger is set to make £10million defender Pape Malickou Diakhate the first new signing of his Arsenal revolution.

The experienced Dinamo Kiev centre-back is the Senegalese vice-captain and a player that the Arsenal boss has tracked for more than two years.

Wenger has already captured striker Marouane Chamakh from Bordeaux on a free transfer, but the move for Diakhate signals the Frenchman's intention to finally give in to calls to loosen the purse strings at the Emirates.

It is also the first step towards strengthening an Arsenal backline whose frailties were ruthlessly exposed in the Champions League by Barcelona and in the Premier League by Spurs, Wigan and Blackburn over the past three weeks.

Diakhate, who stands at 6ft, is currently on loan at St Etienne but will return to his parent club at the end of the season when he is expected to move to London permanently.

Should that happen the 25-year-old defender, described as "aggressive, strong and quick" will team up with Thomas Vermaelan at the heart of the Gunners' defence.

Arsenal are not the only club to have followed Diakhate with Liverpool, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Chelsea all linked with a move for the defender over the past two seasons.

Wenger insisted only last week that he would move to finalise his summer spending before the World Cup in June.

William Gallas is refusing to sign a new deal at the Emirates as he is only being offered a one-year deal while Roma, Paris Saint Germain and Juventus are prepared to offer him two.

Fulham's Brede Hangeland is also said to be on the Wenger radar, with Sol Campbell set to be offered a one-year deal as cover.

And Wenger has been linked with a bid for Borussia Dortmund's rising Serbian star Neven Subotic.

The Bundesliga club, however, insist any club interested in the 21-year-old would have to arrive with "two truckloads of cash" and Wenger maintains he is now looking for experienced players anyway.

Not only does Diakhate have Champions League experience, he played against the Gunners for Kiev two years ago.

The versatile six-footer can also play at left-back and as a defensive midfielder. He holds an EU passport having come through the ranks at French club Nancy.