Here we go again.

The News feeds are full of ‘Arshavin to Barcelona’ stories based on a the smallest article in this morning’s Sun, which comes with a handy quote to provide authenticity. I have nothing to say about this.

Of course Los Muppetos in the Spanish papers will see this then start running stories about ‘Accoring to the English press Arshavin wants to play for Barcelona’ and it will spin and spiral and … well, you know how these things go.

It’s already the main story on the El Mundo website.

*sigh*

Turkish defender Serdar Tasci (with a funny bit on the c) says he’s flattered that Arsenal are interested in him. He’s currently playing for Stuttgart. I don’t know too much about him specifically but given the whispers I’m hearing the arrival of another central defender wouldn’t be a surprise.

Do you know I am being plagued this morning by the most retarded bluebottle of all time? He’s buzzing into the side of the window that is closed, then reaching the bit that is open, looking out, seeing the fresh air, then going back to the other side to smash his head off the closed bit again. I hate those things.

There was no final joy for Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott last night as England lost 4-0 to Germany. That is what you call a paddling. Anyway, they’ve got their holidays now so hopefully they’ll get a good rest before joining up for pre-season training.

There’s literally nothing else happening this morning. I’m off to batten down the hatches, refuse to read any of the stuff about how we’d be better if we sold Arshavin anyway, the ungrateful twat, and enjoy some of this sunshine.

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Till tomorrow.

Good morning and welcome to a new week in the summerlull. Just one week to go until pre-season starts for most of the lads. Then we’re just counting down days till we get some football again.

We’ll start this morning with Felipe Melo. He’s been heavily linked with us since the transfer window opened and former Arsenal man Gilberto Silva, who has been away on Pointless Cup duty with him, has given him positive reports about the club. He says:

We heard rumours and he asked me. I said it’s a fantastic club and if he’s interested he should go without thinking.

Splendid. Good man, Gilberto. I know there might have been a bit of a worry about what he might say given how his Arsenal career finished. The captaincy thing, the being on the bench thing, but he’s always been a proper gent, Gilberto, and he’s confident Melo is just what we need, saying:

I’m sure if they got him it would be a good signing. I have told him Arsenal is a great club and I am sure next season they will improve. He is exactly what they need – a powerful player with quality.

I am sure he has a lot more to grow as well. He is a young player, strong, powerful and has a good quality in his pass.

It all sounds very promising, doesn’t it? Having someone like Gilberto give him a good thumbs-up about the club will certainly help and he definitely fits the bill in terms of the kind of midfielder we’re looking for. Strong, physical, combative even. Let’s hope all the pieces of this one come together.

The other main news this morning surrounds a right issue proposed by Alisher Usmanov, supposedly to raise transfer funds for Arsene Wenger. That’s the way the Telegraph are reporting it and it comes on the back of a similar Mail article a few weeks ago (remember the one with the big, smiling Jabba?)

However, the positive spin put on it in the article above is countered by The Guardian who say the current board will prove resistant to any such move. And rightly so. It’s another attempt by Fat & Orange to curry favour with fans and frankly I’d be deeply suspicious of anything Usmanov had to say about anything, and with regards to our football club I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.

And I couldn’t throw him very far, because he’s a big, fat, ugly cunt. Hey, it’s Monday morning, if you want subtle come back later in the week. In response to this proposal the AST (Arsenal Supporter’s Trust), say:

The AST will not support any rights issue that would change the ownership structure at the club or reduce the number of shares owned by small shareholders and supporters.

Theo Walcott will be playing for England’s U21s in the U21 European Championship Final against Germany later on today. He’s likely to start up front due to injuries and suspensions so it’s a chance for him to show his stuff in his favoured position. He’s had a pretty quiet tournament, hopefully he can shine in the final, alongside Kieran Gibbs whose progress in the last few months has been exceptional.

Not much else going on this morning, bar reports that Samuel Eto’o is set to earn £200,000 a week if he signs for Man City. I know we complain about the kind of money players earn but that is just ridiculous. Of course he’d be mad not to take it but City paying him that kind of salary, as well as a transfer fee of £30m to Barcelona when he could leave there next summer on a free, is lunacy. They did something similar in January, didn’t they? They bought de Jong (I think) for £16m when he was free in the summer.

There really is something to be said for clubs only being allowed to spend the money they earn and salaries like the one being offered to Eto’o will bring about more calls for a cap in the wages players. It’s something I’ve thought unworkable in the past but when you see stuff like that you have to think it’s worth some consideration.

It also makes you wonder how much money they offered Kolo Toure to get a player so loyal and dedicated to Arsenal for so many years to slap in a transfer request in January.

Anyway, let them away with their gold-plated chequebook and platinum pen. There’s nothing we can do about it. Only smash them on the pitch next season.

Till tomorrow.

Ahh, Sunday. A day on which I have woken up hungover more than any other. And the day in which the rumour mill goes into overdrive.

The Sunday papers get jealous of the drip-drip-drip of transfer speculation that their daily counterparts take part in and think ‘Oh yeah? Think you’re great at this stuff do you? Well, WHAT ABOUT THIS?!!’ as they publish some piece of news that’s certainly interesting but most unlikely to ever happen.

In a cunning piece of Murdochian cohesion both the Sunday Times and the News of the World are linking us with a move for Lyon’s Karim Benzema. The NOTW says:

The Gunners board will be prepared to fund a £30million fee for Lyon’s Benzema, 21, if Arsene Wenger opts to cash in on Emmanuel Adebayor.

While the Sunday Times says:

ARSENE WENGER is ready to go head to head with Sir Alex Ferguson for the signaure of Karim Benzema in the knowledge that the 21-year-old France striker would rather join Arsenal this summer than Manchester United.

If I had to rate the chances of this happening out of 10 I would give it its bus fare and tell it to fuck off. I’d love to be surprised, I suppose, but I just don’t see it.

The Times article also gives us an update on the Felipe Melo situation. They say Fiorentina want £21m, we’re saying ‘Woooh, hold your horses there. Here’s £39.99 and Philippe Senderos’ so at the moment things are at something of an impasse.

Now, the Sunday edition of the Daily Star is obviously trying to outdo its Monday-Saturday chums by suggesting we’re on the verge of ‘one of the transfer coups of the summer’ by signing Franck Ribery in a £40m deal. Just the other day Bayern Munich said Ribery wasn’t for sale at any price but £30m in cash and a £10m Nicklas Bendtner has apparently changed their minds. It’s a good job we used the £10m Nicklas Bendtner and not the £3m Nicklas Bendtner, eh?

Again that’s not one I’d be holding my breath for. Now, something with a little bit of reality to it comes with the news that AC Milan have had a conversation with us about Emmanuel Adebayor. The Italians still hope to sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg, but vice-president Adriano Galliani said:

I’ve spoken to Arsene Wenger and Adebayor was part of the conversation.

AG – “So, any problems with him? His attitude?”

AW – “No, none at all, honestly” *uncrosses fingers*

So it seems there’s something to it and as I’ve mentioned I’m told we’re prepared to let Adebayor go, so fingers crossed it happens sooner rather than later.

I’ve had a look around the Spanish papers and there’s nothing stirring there, which can only be a good thing.

Finally for today there’s a lengthy interview in the News of the World (although I suspect it may have been originally elsewhere) in which Robin van Persie talks about football, life, winning trophies at Arsenal and his ambition to be the best player in the world. Hey, for a time when I was younger I wanted to be Tarzan, these things pass. All the same it’s a relatively interesting read.

And on that swinging from a tree making a cool wailing sound note, I shall leave you to your Sunday. Have a good one.

You know, there’s so much going on this morning I’m really not quite sure where to start. Perhaps the news that nobody has signed for us, maybe the huge story about nothing of any importance whatsoever going on, or would it be better to focus on the sheer volume of naught that abounds this summer morning?

The dangers of naught are most underestimated you know.

There really is nothing happening. Do you care that Andrei Arshavin dumped his agent? Nah, me neither. Some blogs considered this the news of the summer but that’s just because there’s nothing else going on. Arshavin taking a poo which was shaped like the Kremlin would be much more interesting news but as far as I know pictures of his poo are about the only ones he doesn’t put on his official site.

Is it worth mentioning that Yaya Toure has signed a new contract at Barcelona? Probably, if only in the vain hope that the news will stop people mentioning him and us together as if he was ever going to sign for us.

Hey! I heard Obafemi Martins could be signing for us … *sigh*

Kieran Gibbs and Theo Walcott played for England U21s yesterday. I watched a bit of it before deciding I have been quite enjoying not watching football. My eyes still needed a bit of recharging and England were 3-0 up anyway. So I switched off, did some other stuff, played some Playstation, had my dinner and turned the TV on again just in time to see the penalty shoot-out.

Both our lads scored and some Swedish lad missed and England go through the final on Monday. Whee. That’s about the enthusiasm I can muster, sorry.

Can you believe Spain are playing South Africa in the Confederations Cup today? Let’s face it, nobody gives a fish’s tit who wins the thing (sorry American chums, but it’s true), so why would anybody care who came 3rd and 4th? I hope the Spanish use the game to give the players who haven’t really featured a run out and Cesc doesn’t play and gets himself a rest then a nice couple of weeks by the sea avoiding interviews and journalists disguised as sandcastles (they’re sneaky over there).

Look, I could sit here, try and tear the arse out of it and waffle a bit more but there really is no point. Hopefully tomorrow’s Sunday papers can bring us a pile of rumours we can point and laugh at like the sickly kid in school who always had a nose full of luminous green bogies.

Till then.