Arsenal have won the race to sign Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh, dashing Liverpool's hopes of landing the 26-year-old.

Chamakh, who will become a free agent once his contract expires in the summer, has long been linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 outfit and has always professed his desire to move across the Channel.

The Morocco international is now said to have snubbed a more enticing offer from Liverpool in order to sign for Arsenal, a deal that will net the talented forward some £50,000 a week and £10.4million over the course of a four-year deal.

Chamakh, a key figure for Bordeaux when they won the French title under Laurent Blanc last season, had earlier this week scoffed at rumours that he was on the verge of joining the Gunners.

"It was announced to me that I'd signed for Arsenal...I formally deny that," he had told French reporters. "But as the days pass I feel less and less a Bordeaux player.

"It's true that there are contacts with several English clubs, of which Arsenal is one of them. But I deny that there is any signature.

"I haven't signed anything yet. As soon as I have something concrete to announce, you will be the first to know. here, the source comes from England. It's just hearsay.

"We're in talks. There's contacts, that's true, but no signature."

That speculation has now, however, become a reality according to The Sun, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger finally snagging one of his key transfer targets - a player he reckons could be the next Emmanuel Adebayor.