I'm Back!

Hello again readers! Sorry for the long absence, I was away over the weekend and then we had a minor electricity crisis last night, but I'm back and blogging now!

I won't try and cover all the news from the weekend, just a bireif outline of what's been going on today...

The big news is that apparently, we've had a bid accepted for Cardiff's Aaron Ramsey. There's a lot of hype around the kid, who is only 17, but if you ask me, he should stay at Cardiff and play another season in the Championship. If he comes here, or goes to Man Utd, he would be a fringe player at best, and I think he would improve a lot more by playing regularly than by sitting on the bench or in the reserves. It's not like this will be his only chance; if he's half the player people make him out to be, he'll end up in the Premiership soon anyway.

Despite the appointment of Mourinho, it looks like Hleb may still be on his way to Inter. I don't know what to believe, as it seems to change between Barca, Real and Inter on a daily basis. He'll end up at one of the three I imagine, though I can see it becoming a bit like last year's Reyes saga. Let's hope not. The same article also gives information about bids for Nicklas Bendtner from two German clubs, and I must say his loyalty and attitude is very refreshing. I have high hopes for the big Dane next season.

Mad Jens has joined Stuttgart; I'm sad to see him go, but I think it's mostly nostalgia. I wish him all the best and hope the rest of the fans will too.

The Managing Director of Fulham has resigned, and, inevitably, there has been some talk about him joining our board. I know nothing at all about this man, so there's not much I cay say.

We've also been linked today with David Villa, which is not going to happen, and Andrei Arshavin, who could be interesting, but there's no evidence behind this at all. Shame, as from what I have seen he is a very good player who could fit in well here. Still, I'd be very surprised if I saw him at Arsenal at the start of the next season. I really wonder why people continue to go on about the Villa transfer after Wenger said this. It's not going to happen, we don't need any more strikers, get over it.

Finally, just for a bit of light amusement; "Spurs behind in the race to sign Robinho". No shit...

Should we all be more like Spurs fans? Hleb, More Nasri and Gilberto.

Should we all be more like Spurs fans? In one sense, possibly. I'm not suggesting that we all go out and try to become stupid, ugly, foul-smelling morons, but there is one aspect of the Spurs fan that might help us all out; the eternal optimism. Every year that I can remember, the whole summer has been ful of doom and gloom from Arsenal fans, predicting the clubs imminent decline and demise, whilst the fans of North London's other club seem certain that they are about to displace us and charge up the league table. Now this seems to happen every season without fail. Also, every season without fail, both sets of fans are proved wrong. We keep on up with the big four, Spurs sit in mid-table, but that doesn't stop either set of fans. If we think about things, we have much more reason to be optimistic that the average Spud; we're in the Champions League, we've got a load of great players, and the prospect of more on the horizon, and our best player doesn't want to leave. All they have is Jermaine Jenas. And they're the optimistic ones? Obviously, our moods doesn't have any effect on the clubs themselves, but it might cheer people up a bit if we were just a little more optimistic, if people weren't spending the summer writing of Wenger for not signing hundreds of new players, and instead were just thinking about how we're going to beat Spurs, home and away, again, next season.

In the news today, there's not much we haven't seen, or expected to see, before.

We do, however, have more from Hleb's agent:

"I can officially confirm that a short time ago Alexander decided that he will leave Arsenal and join another club. "Of course Arsenal and Arsene [Wenger] wanted him to stay but they have accepted the player's choice."

So he's definitely off, at least we have the waiting over. He's a good player, but easily replaceable. I look forward to see him struggling to break into the first team of whoever he joins, and then frustrating a new sets of fans with amazing passes that just don't quite come off and a complete refusal to shoot.

No more official news on Samir Nasri's transfer, but as I have said before, that's nothing to worry about. What we do have however, is a few words from our transfer target of last summer, Franck Ribery, who seems to believe Nasri is on his way here:

"It is good for him. It [Arsenal] is a good club with many young people.

"But the English championship is completely different, he will have to adapt in order to impose himself."

Finally, Gilberto has revealed that our players suffer from the same anxieties as the fans, and he wants Wenger to bring in new players to help keep morale up in the squad. I'd tell him what I'd tell anyone us. The signings will come, it's early days yet, and Wenger has never let us down before. At least it proves that none of the players are closet Spuds.

'Till Tomorrow

Transfer Roundup and Good News For Mad Germans

Once again today, we have various spurious transfer rumours flying around that link sveral different players to moves to or from Arsenal. There has been a lot of talk about Real Madrid's interest in Hleb, and quotes from his agent back this up:

"For any player in the world, it is always a great honour that a club like Real Madrid is interested in him.

"This confirms the good work that Hleb has carried out in the last years is being recognised by one of the greatest clubs in the world. Nobody can doubt that the interest of Madrid is a privilege for the player."

However, there has been nothing from either club or the player, so it may well just be a case of Hleb's agent trying to drum up interest in his client. While I accept that this is an agent's prerogative, I just wish Hleb would just come out and say something conclusive himself; does he want to leave the club? The only other commenton this issue comes from ex-Gooner Julio Baptista, who said that Hleb would be "good reinforcement" for Madrid.

Another story floating about the internet and papers today is of Milan's interest in Emmanuel Adebayor. This is just your usual load of transfer bollocks - we're not going to sell Adebayor, and he doesn't want to leave.

As per usual at this time of year, we seem to be being linked with pretty much every young player under the sun. As well, as all the Nasri stuff which is still circulating - the transfer seems no nearer conclusion, although I guess the less we hear at this stage the better - we have apparently signed Francis Coquelin, who I know nothing about other than he's a young French player (apparently a defensive midfielder). We have also been relinked with Hatem Ben Arfa here, although there doesn't seem to be any source for the story. The same page also links us to another player I've never heard of, PSGs Clement Chantome. I doubt there's anything in it, but who knows?

There is on piece of news that I was delighted to hear today, and that is that our very own Mad Jens is likely to be Germany's #1 for the Euros this summer! He's had a tough season with us, but is still a quality player. Will I support Germany now? I don't know if I can bring myself to, but I will most definitely be supporting Lehmann! He is a true Arsenal legend, and deserves a good send-off, as I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up retiring this summer.