Thursdays are normally the day that everybody starts discussing Arsenal’s upcoming weekend fixture, but thanks to Everton’s FA Cup progress there isn’t one. Which, after the debacle of recent weeks, is almost a relief. Instead of worrying, we can sit back and ‘enjoy’ the other fixtures, by which I mean pray Chelsea and Spurs somehow implode, surrendering all their points to Arsenal. Even if that happened we’d still finish third.

There were some spectacularly amusing transfer rumours today, so I’ll deal with them, as that’s all that really happened.

Oh, the hilarity

According to the Mirror, Manchester City are planning a bid for Carl Jenkinson in the summer. Apparently Maicon, Micah Richards, and Pablo Zabaleta aren’t enough options at right-back, and City are looking to add to their English contingent.

Of course, it makes perfect sense that die-hard Gooner Jenkinson would enjoy leaving his position at Arsenal, where he could be in with a shout to start next season, to presumably occupy the same sort of position as Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair. City may well have interest, it would be just like them, but the chances of Arsenal accepting and Jenkinson agreeing to move are so minute, well, they’re non existent.

In slightly less ridiculous, but still pretty funny news, Alex Song has been linked with a return to the Emirates. After moving to Barcelona in the summer, the midfielder has (surprisingly) failed to assert himself and spends most of his time on the bench, or playing out of position. He probably should have expected this, but he was never the most intelligent, on or off the pitch.

Song could realistically return, and under Wenger he could probably get his career back on track, but you’d imagine Arsenal would look at other options before considering bringing him back. PSG are also supposedly interested, and that would be a more likely destination, though even that is unlikely.

Verminator exterminated?

There’ve been reports that Thomas Vermaelen is set to be sold and lose the Arsenal captaincy in the summer, due to his poor performances of late and lack of leadership. The Daily Mail have it that Jack Wilshere will become captain next season, and it’s possible altogether that this will be because of Vermaelen’s departure. For once the loss of a captain will be on our terms, but it is pretty stupid how often if happens.

Vermaelen is either distracted or has been found out this season, with some poor performances all season costing Arsenal points almost on a weekly basis. With Laurent Koscielny making an excellent case to start ahead of him, the Belgian needs to make a rapid improvement if he wants to avoid being offloaded and replaced by a more accomplished defender.

Tomorrow will bring the much-vaunted article on Arsenal’s defence, so look forward to that.

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