Gervinho demands private helicopter, beach before joining Al Jazira

AS Roma thought they would offload Gervinho for €13 million, but they found out last week that he won't be departing for Abu Dhabi after all.

Al Jazira failed to come to an agreement with the Ivorian winger, thanks to his absolutely ludicrous demands. His salary wasn't the concern.

Requests by the Ivorian star for a helicopter and a private beach as part of the deal that would take him from AS Roma to Al Jazira were described as “obscene” by the Arabian Gulf League club, according to reports.

Gervinho was set to end his mitigated two-year spell with the Serie A club and join the Abu Dhabi outfit this week on a reported four-year deal worth €13 million (Dh53.2m).

But the move collapsed because of Gervinho’s string of demands, which also included accommodation for his family and regular airplane tickets to travel to his native Ivory Coast, said La Gazzetta dello Sport. Jazira are not expected to pursue the deal any further.

Gervinho remains on the market but will now be expected to turn up for Roma’s first training camp of the summer at their Trigoria base just outside Rome on July 5.

The former Arsenal player moved to the Stadio Olimpico in August 2013 for €8m and has scored 11 goals in 57 appearances for the Italian club, helping them to a second-place finish in Serie A last season, 17 points adrift of champions Juventus.
— ESPN