Everton manager David Moyes bids for Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos

Philippe Senderos scores (pic: Getty)

Arsene Wenger last night made a cut-price £5million bid for Marouane Chamakh - and then prepared to sell Philippe Senderos to Everton.

Gunners boss Wenger has made Bordeaux striker Chamakh his top priority to replace Emmanuel Adebayor, who joined Manchester City for £22m.

Wenger is also ready to sell another member of his squad after Everton came in for Swiss defender Senderos.

And it is a clear sign that the Toffees are preparing for life after Joleon Lescott, who is desperate to go to City even though boss David Moyes has turned down a renewed £19m bid.

Senderos spent last season on loan at AC Milan but the Italian giants did not take advantage of a £6m buy-out clause and Everton have jumped ahead of Aston Villa and Sunderland to sign the big centre-half.

Senderos has been back in preseason with Arsenal but is resigned to leaving the Emirates this summer.

Adebayor has gone, Kolo Toure joined him at City in a £14m deal and Emmanuel Eboue is set to join Fiorentina in a £9m transfer.

But after raking in nearly £50m, Wenger is ready to start spending with Chamakh top of his list - and St Etienne midfielder Blaise Matuidi also lined up in a £3m deal.

Wenger rates Chamakh highly after tracking him all summer, as first revealed in Mirror Sport.

Chamakh only has one year left on his current contract at Bordeaux and, while the French champions are demanding £12m for their top scorer, Wenger believes he can drive a hard bargain. Moroccan Chamakh, who scored 13 goals last season, has made it clear to Bordeaux that he wants to join Arsenal.

The French club are in a difficult position as they know he will not go anywhere else, despite interest from Sunderland and Fulham.

Bordeaux president JeanLouis Triaud yesterday admitted Wenger has been in touch. He said: "Wenger has in fact called me. He said he had a list of attackers and Marouane was one."

Wenger, typically, played down the transfer talk surrounding Chamakh as he did not want to jeopardise the move but has already admitted he is keen after declaring he is an "interesting player".

Wenger added: "I wouldn't like to comment on any phone calls I did, because, during the day, I have a hundred phone calls.

"The only thing I can say is that we are nowhere near to signing anybody at the moment.

"The most important thing we want is to play our game and have a good balanced team.

"That is for me the target of the preseason."