Arsenal sign Ivory Coast international

Arsenal have signed Ivory Coast international Emmanuel Eboue on a four-and-a-half year contract from Beveren, according to the Belgian club.

Beveren’s official website reports that the 21-year-old full-back, who has made 13 appearances and scored twice for the Antwerp club this season, will join the Gunners when the transfer window reopens in January.

A statement on the club’s website www.kskbeveren.be: “After the winter break KSK Beveren will not be able to count on Emmanuel Eboue any more.

“Last Friday the defender signed a four-and-a-half-year contract at Arsenal in the presence of vice-chairman David Dein and coach Arsene Wenger. On Saturday he (Eboue) went flat hunting with his wife and his daughter.

“In the summer he took part in some of Arsenal’s preparatory matches and made quite an impression on Wenger. Arsenal had already tried to buy Hatem Trabelsi from Ajax, but the transfer had never been completed, so they decided to buy Eboue.

“From January 1, 2005, Eboue will be a Gunner. As usual the transfer fee will not be made public.

"After the winter break KSK Beveren will bring in a replacement for Eboue.”

Eboue is set to join compatriot Kolo Toure at Highbury.