Nothing. Not a thing. Zilch. This is what we’ve heard about transfers. At least definitively. Arsenal are either being extra secretive, or they’ve forgotten there’s a transfer window on.

Benayoun the second

Fresh from loaning Chelsea outcast Yossi Benayoun last season, Arsenal are now interested in loaning Michael Essien from the West London side. This is an interesting move, considering his injury record, and makes you wonder why we couldn’t just pick someone up permanently. This indicates Francis Coquelin has been identified as a prospective first-teamer and Essien is being brought in to A. Teach him, and B. Share time with him.

Wouldn’t be too upset with him, though it seems odd we’d sell Song and then bring in someone on loan.

The Arsenal hotel mystery

This afternoon, a man was pictured at the Village Hotel near London Colney, the hotel players stay in before they sign. He had a suited man with him and was carrying a “how to learn English” folder and an Arsenal water bottle.

This led to a frenzy of speculation as to who he was, with names like Lars Bender and Ivan Perisic being touted around. Eventually the mystery seemed to be solved, as he was identified as a 17 year old Macedonian goalkeeper Deni Illiev Arsenal had brought in for the reserves. But he doesn’t really look like him either...

My verdict? Random lad with an Arsenal water bottle.

Lockdown

It’s got to the point now where even people who are truly “in the know” know very little about what Arsenal are doing. Arsene Wenger had a press conference, and did his current stock line of the summer about “If we find someone of the right quality, we will do it”, and said Arsenal were still active in the market. It’ll be interesting to see what he thinks the “right” quality is, but at least they’re trying.

Even if Arsenal don’t sign anyone they’ll do fine. It would just be nice to see them making an effort to take the squad to a level above what they’ve been stuck at for a while. But there’s still time.

Clearout

Park Chu Young is apparently in Celta Vigo ahead of a loan move there, while Nicklas Bendtner will complete his loan-with-purchase-at-the-end move to Juventus tomorrow (Juventus! JUVENTUS!!!! THE SODDING ITALIAN CHAMPIONS! BUYING NICKLAS BENDTNER!! WE REALLY ARE IN A RECESSION!).]

Marouane Chamakh could also go, to Besiktas, and if all of those come off you’d think Arsenal were planning to bring some kind of striker in, just to make up the numbers.

The usual

French TV station Belnsport insisted that Arsenal had brought in Cheick Tiote from Newcastle, and said it would be announced shortly after their (late evening) breaking of the “story”. No such move has materialised. He didn’t play in their Europa league game, but was at the ground watching, so he looks like he’s staying put too.

Stories like this always break around this time and they’re roundly a load of utter rot. You’ll probably hear quite a few more today, disregard them. As I’ve said, nobody really knows anything except the people inside Arsenal.

And that’s all, sadly. Arsenal were drawn into what has been accepted as a fairly straightforward group for the Champions League, and all we can do now is see what happens today. Don’t get your hopes up, but don’t lose hope completely.

Just be cool.

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