Arsenal set to sign $16m Park

Published Aug. 27, 2011 2:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

Arsenal are poised to sign Park Chu-Young from Monaco for $16million, with the South Korean due to undergo a medical in the next 24 hours.

French champions Lille were convinced they had all but wrapped up a deal for the 26-year-old striker before Gunners boss Arsene Wenger swooped.

Reports on Saturday suggested Park had agreed terms with Lille and had completed the first part of a medical but failed to show up for the second part after Wenger came calling.

Lille president Michel Seydoux told BBC Sport: "We haven't had a telephone call, nothing.

"From what we understand he could be at Arsenal."

He added: "Like Monaco, Lille are baffled," added Seydoux.

"Everything had been agreed."

Arsenal have also been linked with Lille's Eden Hazard and it remains to be seen whether their move for Park will have soured their relationship with the French club.

Park, who had previously been linked with Fulham, would become Wenger's fifth summer signing and help offset the loss of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

He scored an own goal in South Korea's 4-1 defeat by Argentina at the last World Cup, but redeemed himself in their next match against Nigeria by scoring a free-kick in a 2-2 draw, a goal which helped his country advance to the last 16.