Arsenal Alerted to French Striker After Champions League Declaration

Newcastle United loanee Loic Remy has alerted Arsenal to his services after shrouding uncertainty regarding his future by stating his desire to play Champions League football next season.

Remy is the third highest scoring in the Premier League this term having netted 10 goals for a Newcastle side who are eighth and just six points adrift of the top four.

The French international is on loan at St James' Park from Championship club Queens Park Rangers and despite joining Newcastle with the intention of agreeing a permanent deal, Remy has grander designs in mind next season.

"I miss the Champions League," he said. "It is a very special competition.

"Next season I can play the Champions League again. We will see what happens, if I stay here or if we play in the Champions League."

The Times report that Arsenal will be sparked into action as early as the January transfer window and bid for the unsettled Remy in order to quell their attacking problems which sees both Olivier Giroud and Nicklas Bendtner out injured.

Bendtner picked up an ankle injury in scoring in the win over Cardiff City which keeps Arsenal top of the Premier League, and the Dane is expected to miss the next three weeks.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has made no secret of the fact he wants to sign a new forward in January with reports currently suggesting that Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov is his primary target.

Meanwhile, Newcastle's hopes of returning to elite European competition rest on the retention of Remy, who has contributed over a third of the club's league goals this season and spearheaded a fruitful campaign which has produced 10 wins in 20 league games including victotries over Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew said: "Hopefully with us, we feel we can sign him, we have the finance to do that, but of course probably at the end of the year, Loic and his agent and his representatives will decide where his future is.

"50,000 Geordies, there is not a lot of clubs who can beat that. That's what I say to my players. They think the grass is greener, and we have lost some good players in this football club.

"Joey Barton moved on, Andy Carroll, and actually you have to argue, have they moved onto better clubs?

"Because when they were here they were absolutely terrific for us, and I think sometimes the grass isn't always greener as we know."