Midfielder Yaya - who is 25 on Tuesday - has been identified by Wenger as the man to bring some bite back to his side.
Yaya, whose brother Kolo is a likely candidate to skipper Arsenal next season, had a trial with the Gunners in 2002 but Wenger decided not to offer him a deal.
And two years ago, the player was also linked with a move back to the north London outfit.
Now, however, Wenger is ready to make his move and, with Barcelona looking to appoint former star defender Pep Guardiola as boss this summer, a £10m deal is in the offing.
