Steven Pienaar

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could make a move for South African international Steven Pienaar , who has yet to agree a new deal with Everton , according to the Daily Mail.

The 28-year-old is entering the final year of his current deal and unless he signs a contract extension at Goodison Park, Piennar will soon be available for free.  Should Everton choose to cash in, Tottenham were thought to be leading the chase, but now Arsenal could make their move.

Moyes is keen to keep his side together and tie down players like Pienaar.  However, they have so far failed to reach a deal and Pienaar reportedly rejected an offer from Everton last month.

It is thought that Wenger has a £30million summer war chest at his disposal and he has recently been linked with another midfielder, Joe Cole .  However, according to the Daily Mail, Wenger spoke admiringly of Pienaar and explicitly said that he is good enough to play for Arsenal .

Wenger said, "Pienaar has grown this year. He was usually a very busy player where the final ball was missing a little bit, but this year he has gained in personality and he has kept his work-rate, so he has been much more efficient.

"What also played a big role in his growth was that Mikel Arteta was not there for a while and that he had to take the responsibility of being the playmaker of the team.

"He was one of the best players in England this year. He would get into the Arsenal team. I always had an eye on him since he was at Ajax."

For his part, Pienaar welcomed praise from Gunners' boss Wenger, saying, "It's always flattering that one of the best managers in the world says those kind of things about you.

"What I need to do is to work week in, week out to keep getting better. I am thankful to Wenger but my aim is still the same: keep improving. As simple as that."

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