Ciprian Marica
Arsenal have offered a contract to former Schalke forward Ciprian Marica, his agent claims. (Reuters)

Arsenal are on the verge of making their second signing of the summer after offering a contract to Romanian international Ciprian Marica, according to the forward's agent.

Although the club remain in hot pursuit of Liverpool's wantaway star Luis Suarez, Arsene Wenger's side have endured a relatively quiet transfer window thus far, with 20-year-old striker Yaya Sanogo the sole addition to the Gunners' squad.

With Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho poised to complete their moves to Roma and Crystal Palace respectively, and Nicklas Bendtner also likely to cut his ties with the club this summer, the Gunners could all of a sudden be light up front.

But Wenger could be set to bolster his options in a typically prudent move for Marica after the 27-year-old was released by Schalke this summer.

"It is close to Arsenal, we'll see this week," Giovani Becali, Marica's agent, is quoted as saying by Romanian newspaper Libertatea.

"Marica is a good striker, a Romanian international and has experienced great football in the West. It is normal for him to be targeted by big clubs."

Marica, who has spent the last six years in the Bundesliga following spells with Dinamo Bucuresti and Shakhtar Donetsk, played a largely peripheral role at Schalke last season, making 16 appearances in all competitions and scoring six times.

Having failed to hold onto a first team role during his four year spell with the 2007 Bundesliga champions, Marica left the club by mutual consent earlier this summer and is now free to negotiate a move to a new club.

While the Gunners appear determined to secure the signature of at least one established name ahead of the new season, the departures of Chamakh and Gervinho may have left Wenger to ponder bringing in another forward with a squad role in mind.

It is also suggested that Marica's reasonable wage demands may encourage the Gunners to push through a deal. The forward is reportedly looking for a contract worth £1.7m a year, or approximately £32,000 a week, a relatively modest sum in today's market.

Such a signing is unlikely to appease Gunners fans who have been promised big name signings this summer by the club's chief executive Ivan Gazidis. The proposed move for Marica would be the club's second signing of the summer to arrive on a free transfer after Sanogo arrived at the Emirates for nothing in June after his contract with Auxerre expired.

With just a month left before the transfer window closes, the club are also still looking to push a deal through for Suarez, having already seen bids of £30m and £40m + £1 turned away by Liverpool.