Here it comes: Deadline day deals for Gunners tommorow

By David Swaden

So here I am writing this from a beach resort and will be following tomorrow’s fun and games from a deck chair, how very WAG.

As far as possible ins and outs go, there appears to be endless combinations which could happen between now and about 30 hours time.

Its all go on the rumour front. From the good, like talk of Dzeko, the bad, like any one of the ‘nursing shark trio’ (about as dangerous) of Bendtner Chamakh or Park remaining, to the ridiculous like Cesc rejoining.

Throw in players being covertly snapped in London hotels at the moment and you sir/madam have a fully blown soap opera on your hands.

In fact, as I write, talk of Cabaye heading down the motorway on board the megabus for just 20p is surfacing..honest!

At this late stage in the game I’d be surprised if we get more than one player. That concerns me, as at present we have no reinforcement in midfield following our loss of Song and it looks as though we may only have Podolski and Giroud as recognised strikers. Another right back i can live without but that’s still two players we desperately do need.

Wenger is of course a notoriously clever and secretive dealer, so it may be the media are so caught up with transfers which are easier to uncover they don’t have the time or resource to expose his dastardly shenanigans. I hope so. I say clever, but there is something a bit grating about hearing how we will only ever move for special players.

I realise that all signings are gambles, but when a guy isn’t even prolific for Monaco, for example, why would he be likely to bring value in one of our striking berths? How special was Squillaci ever either? It’s clear we need more in and it frustrates me a bit that we always get that line from the prof when he has bought, let’s be honest, some massive flops in his time. I saw Amaury Bischoff mentioned somewhere else on this issue. I see your Bischoff and raise you Tomas Danilevicius, beat that!

That said, I don’t believe very much of what Wenger says to the press regarding transfers. Why would he give away details that would alert other clubs to gazumping opportunities? Last couple of things. I feel an obligation to mention Walcott. I think the media put 2 and 2 together and made 15 million to City. I suspect they got wind that he was unlikely to complete negotiations on his deal before tomorrow and engineered that into what we got a few days ago. The reality is that both parties want a deal.

Wenger clearly has a soft spot for Theo as symbolic of his development policy, and the player seems to recognise that he gets regular first team football at a champions league level when his consistency may see him struggle to find an equivalent elsewhere.One other factor is that Theo comes across as pretty smart off the pitch, and perhaps he has recognised that the path to the etihad or anfield would, for many reasons, be one fraught with risks for him.

Putting all of this aside by the way, I think the club are spot on not to be offering him 100k a week. That is the sort of salary that should be paid to a player who can consistently do what Theo did in the Champions League at Liverpool all those years ago, or against Tottenham last year.

The fact that those moments stand out so much summarise the problem.Onto my last point, well more of an observation. What is going on at man city’s transfer policy at the moment? Yes Sinclair and Rodwell are able players, but they’re hardly tevez, augero or silva are they? And Richard Wright? You’re having a laugh! I would venture that this is the most obvious consequence of the homegrown rules we have seen so far. That would also explain the reported interest in theodore.

Right, that’s enough from me. This is of course all opinion. Time for us all to get ourselves back to the rock hard facts that are ‘Sky Sports News understands’ et al. Can’t wait for Jim White’s bi annual cameo tomorrow night.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

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