Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo has, more or less, confirmed his move to the Gunners for next season.

The French U21 international told Sky Sports (assuming they actually spoke to him and not Carl Jenkinson by mistake), “Arsenal could be a great club for me, I scored nine goals this season with Auxerre and they think I can improve my level in England.

“I am pleased to be following in the footsteps of Abou Diaby who came through from Auxerre. There are many teams interested in me, but Arsenal is my choice.”

Considering the injury problems he’s had, Gunners fans will be hoping he doesn’t follow too closely in Diaby’s footsteps.

Crutchsteps.

Stump trails.

We’re sorry.

I guess this is as close to official as you can get without it being official. We suspect they’re just dotting the Ts and crossing the Is on the Jovetic and Higuaín deals before announcing.

That’s it. That’s surely it.

French radio station RMC are reporting that Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Auxerre striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer this summer.

Back in March L’Equipe reported that Arsene Wenger and Gilles Grimandi met with the 20-year-old’s representatives and it’s now believed that a 4-year-deal has been agreed.

The French under-21 international has scored eight goals in seven games in Ligue 2 season after returning from a groin injury which ruled him out for most of 2012.

So just to clarify he’s young, French, injury-prone, nobody has heard of him and free.

We might as well roll out the red carpet now…welcome Yes Yes It’s A No Go.

UPDATE – via John Cross. 

Wenger in his pre-Newcastle press conference on deal with Sanogo: “It’s advanced, but not done. He’s a big talent.”

In recent weeks Arsenal have been linked with Barcelona youngster, Julio Pleguezuelo Selva, a defender, but AS suggest the player is going to Chelsea while the Gunners have secured the services of another graduate from La Masia.

Josimar Quintero, a 16 year old Ecuadorian born right winger, is the player in question, but the situation is complicated by the fact both he, and Selva, share the same agent, Raúl Verdú.

Verdú informed Barcelona last month that the players would be rejecting the offers put before them in favour of a move to London, where they can sign professional terms a year earlier than in Spain.

It was this loophole which Arsenal exploited to sign Cesc Fabregas in 2004, and in recent times the Gunners have added Hector Bellerin and Jon Toral from the Spanish champions.

Both players have been linked to Chelsea, but AS insist that Selva will join Chelsea, Josimar will go to Arsenal, while Liverpool will complete the signing of another youth star, Sergi Canós.

As Arseblog News reported previously, Arsenal are close to agreeing a formal tie-up with Real Betis.

With Joel Campbell currently on loan there, and the La Liga club keen to keep him for another season, discussions have taken place between the two clubs about a more authoritative partnership.

This would see the Andalusian club get a pick of promising Arsenal youngsters to take on loan, with names like Serge Gnabry and Tomas Eisfeld mentioned as possible candidates.

As well as that, Arsenal would like a bit of ying to the yang, and reports in Spain suggest that as part of the deal, the Gunners want a first option clause for exciting youngster Álvaro Vadillo.

The left winger has recently come back from a cruciate ligament injury but has made 11 appearances this season. Last year, he became the second youngest player to ever make a debut in La Liga aged 16 years, 11 months.

Vadillo has a contract until 2016, with a €20m buy-out clause, and while a deal is in no way imminent, Arsenal will be monitoring his progress closely.

According to reports in Germany, Arsenal have been looking at Stuttgart keeper, Sven Ulreich, as they consider options ahead of a likely summer purchase in that area.

Bild says that the Gunners sent scouts to watch the 24 year old German during the 2-1 German cup semi-final win over Freiburg, and last weekend Ulreich saved a penalty in the 2-0 defeat by Greuther Furth.

Ulreich, who has made 42 appearances for Stuttgart this season and is well established as their number 1, wasn’t drawn on any rumours, however, saying, “I do not concern myself with such things. We have plenty of other problems in Stuttgart right now that I’m focused on.”

With Lukasz Fabianski out of contract at the end of the season, and Vito Mannone not sufficient cover/competition for Wojciech Szczesny, it does seem likely that Arsenal will buy a keeper this summer.

Rumoured targets have included Simone Mignolet, Asmir Begovic from Stoke City, Iker Casillas (!) and Joe Corrigan.

Wojciech Szczesny may be starting Sunday’s game with Manchester United but there’s still little to suggest his status as Arsenal’s number one is secure as the transfer window looms large.

Yesterday the Evening Standard claimed Lukasz Fabianski is prepared to stay at Arsenal for the final year of his contract so long as he gets a serious shot at the number one spot, while today Frank Arnesen, sporting director at Rene Adler’s club Hamburg, has publicly stated, “It is known that Arsenal are looking for a goalkeeper.”

It’s long been assumed that Fabianski would make for the Emirates exit this summer having had first team chances hard to come by in the last two-years, however, with a decent recent run of form under his belt it appears the Pole is willing to stick things out for twelve more months in the hope of fulfilling the potential the boss has so often spoken about.

Should Fabianski stay it doesn’t necessarily rule out the option to further strengthen in goal. While tittle-tattle about Spanish duo Victor Valdes and Iker Casillas has never looked like anything more than headline fodder, rumours have also persisted about Stoke’s Asmir Begovic and German international Adler.

While the former is seemingly wanted by a number of clubs flush with more cash than us, the latter seems open to a move coyly telling Bild of his pride at being linked with the Gunners.

“For any player, it is an honour [to be linked with Arsenal],” he is quoted as saying.

“It is something that inspires me even more, but it is not distracting me.”

With Vito Mannone still on the books and young Argentine Damien Martinez getting regular game time in the reserves there’s much for Arsene Wenger to mull over in the coming weeks and months. One thing is for sure, high-level competition between the sticks is vital if we’re to get the best out of whoever is number one and those in front of him. That’s certainly not always been the case in recent years…

Arsenal, and other clubs, but especially Arsenal, have missed out on the signing of [player name].

The [country] international has been in sparkling for this season for [current club], scoring [x] goals and helping his side to reach [semi/final]/ and/or lift [trophy/championship].

The [position] wizard/stalwart has long been linked with a move to the Premier League with Arsene Wenger said to be desperate to bring him to the Emirates after [x] trophyless seasons.

But once again, the Gunners have been gazumped as [new club] announced today they had reached an agreement with [player name] and [current club] for a sensational summer swoop.

It is now thought that Wenger will turn his attention elsewhere with [cheaper option], [even cheaper option], [ludicrous made-up option] and [bloke nobody's heard of] all in his sights.

—

Please feel free to use this template for all your hit-whoring, made-up story needs.

love, your pals,

Arseblog News

After protracted negotiations last summer Arsenal sold Carlos Vela to Real Sociedad following a successful loan season.

As is typical in many transfers, the Gunners inserted a buy-back clause (there’s one in the Cesc Fabregas deal too) and a sell-on clause which could see them take up to 50% of any future sale.

Having under-performed in England, it was inevitable that when Vela started scoring in Spain stories would abound about Arsenal exercising the buy-back clause.

However, they are just stories – there’s a reason Vela is playing well and it’s because he feels more comfortable in Spain (as well as applying himself better at his new club) – and today the sporting director of the Basque club has categorically ruled out the Mexican’s departure back to London.

“We have not spoken to Arsenal,” said Lorenzo Juarros, “and Vela doesn’t want to go there. He wants to stay here and play in Europe with Sociedad.”

Real are currently in 4th position in La Liga, and Vela has scored 13 goals for them this season and is their leading scorer as they push for a Champions League place.

Vela’s desire to stay in Spain is not matched by another departure, with suggestions that Alex Song wants to return to the club after moving to Barcelona last summer.

Song’s uncle, Rigobert, laid bare the midfielder’s problems, saying, “This season he has only been a substitute. He is not happy.

“At Arsenal he was a leader on and off the field – he doesn’t feel like this in Spain and it makes him feel bad.”

Leaving aside the dubious claims of leadership, quite how Song thought he was going to play very often in a team with Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Fabregas and Mascherano in it is anyone’s guess.

We suspect he might have caught the rare, but sinister, Hlebovirus, which gives players ideas way above their station and can prove fatal to careers.

Arsene Wenger has promised that Nacho Monreal will prove himself a very useful addition to the Arsenal squad having done well to survive a baptism of fire against two of the Premier League’s most physical clubs.

Dropped into the deep end with a debut against Stoke City, followed by a trip to Sunderland a home game against Aston Villa, the Spanish international has cut a solid presence so far with the Gunners securing three hard fought victories and keeping a couple of clean sheets.

Reflecting on the 27-year-old’s bedding in period, Wenger played up his new man’s defensive and offensive qualities.

“The first thing you want from your defenders is to defend well, so we cannot reproach him for that,” the boss told the Arsenal Magazine.

“You will see the other aspects of his game more when his confidence has settled.

“There is no better culture shock than to play against Stoke and Sunderland.

“Monreal is good in the air for a guy of his size, has a quick leap and has looked good. He is very strong in other areas too, his crosses for example, and his forward play you will see a bit later.

“It happened with Kieran Gibbs too, the more confident he became the more efficient he was going forward. It can take a bit of time to express that side.

“There is no better culture shock than to play against Stoke and Sunderland.

“He has not said a word to me about it, but he has spoken with the other players and he has seen all about the passion and commitment of the English game. You can say Nacho Monreal passed that test.”

It remains to be seen who will be Arsene Wenger’s first choice left-back when Kieran Gibbs returns to full fitness. The Academy product was enjoying his best season to date at the Emirates only for another injury to force him off in the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

As things stand the Spaniard has a chance to consolidate his credentials in England and given neither Andre Santos nor Thomas Vermaelen have proved themselves capable of filling the left-back slot he’s got the full backing of the supporters. It’s a shame he’s ineligible for the Champions League as he was sorely missed in the 3-1 spanking at the hands of Bayern in the first-leg.

Arsenal new boy Nacho Monreal has revealed he didn’t think twice about joining the Gunners once he heard of the interest from Arsene Wenger and says he’ll take comfort from the way fellow former-Malaga man Santi Cazorla has settled at the Emirates.

Signed on Thursday’s transfer deadline day, the left-back could be thrust into the limelight this afternoon against Stoke with Kieran Gibbs injured and question marks hanging over the form of Andre Santos.

Speaking to Arsenal.com in his first interview since touching down on English soil, the 26-year-old Spanish international revealed that it’ll be a bonus joining a squad brimming with compatriots.

“To be honest, when I was given the option to come here I went for it because it’s a massive club. I didn’t even have to think about it.

“Of course, there are Spanish players here and a lot of youngsters, which this club is known to attract. I’m delighted to be able to train and play with those guys and I hope my stay here will be the best it possibly can.

“I’ve watched loads of Arsenal games and there have been legends that have played for this club. I know everything I can from watching the television and from what Santi has told me in this relatively short period of time.”

Confirming that he’s spoken with Santi Cazorla before signing on the dotted line in N5, Nacho said the presence of the diminutive midfielder will help calm any residing nerves.

“Yes, I spoke to Santi, we had a long conversation about things,” he continied.

“I asked how things were here and he only had very positive things to say. He said that Arsenal was a massive club, the people are great and it’s really just a big family. He only had good things to say. I am sure we can be successful this season and I am really looking forward to the challenge.

“Yes it does [help that Cazorla has been a success]. It helps that I’ve been able to share a dressing room with him at Malaga, that everything’s gone well and that the people here have been incredible in welcoming me.

“As there’s a familiar face in Santi, I’m a lot calmer about things. Having shared a dressing room with someone who’s already made this journey is a good feeling. Now it’s my turn and I can’t wait to follow in his footsteps.”

Arsenal have completed the signing of Nacho Monreal from Malaga.

The Spanish international left back joins on a long-term deal for what’s believed to be a fee of around £10m. Monreal has made 21 appearance for Malaga this season, scoring 1 goal (in their recent 3-2 win over Mallorca), picking up 4 yellows and 1 red card in the process.

He has played in the Champions League so is cup-tied for this season’s tournament, meaning he will not be eligible for the games against Bayern Munich.

The 26 year old is, of course, a former teammate of Santi Cazorla and Malaga have already signed a replacement – Vitorino Antunes from Portuguese side Paços de Ferreira.

The move provides competition for Kieran Gibbs and calls into questions the future of Andre Santos.

Arsene Wenger said, “We are delighted that Nacho Monreal has agreed to join us. We have been monitoring him for some time now and are really pleased that we’ve been able to agree this move today. Monreal is a strong left-sided defender with good experience at both club and international level.

“He is a technically gifted player, a good crosser in the final third and strong in the air. Monreal will add quality to our squad and of course, to our defensive unit. We all look forward to him playing for us.”

Nacho stats via the official Malaga site.

More to follow

Well, here it is. Transfer deadline day. The day of transfers on which there is a deadline after which you can’t do any transfers. Until the deadline is lifted at which point you can do transfers until the next deadline.

We’re expecting a lot of action here today … *cough* … so stick with us right until the window closes at 11pm. Please note: updates will appear automatically, no need to refresh.

Arsene Wenger has once again denied that Arsenal could sign David Villa from Barcelona making clear that the Catalan giants don’t want to sell and refusing to confirm whether the player was a target in the first place.

Obviously bored of being asked the same questions about the same player for the third press conference in ten days the boss went out of his way to kill the rumour stone dead.

Asked whether the Spanish striker might moved to the Emirates before the end of the January transfer window, Wenger responded:

“Barcelona doesn’t want to sell David Villa – they have made that very clear.”

Pressed further on the matter, Wenger responded with a curt, “No” when questioned about whether there was any room for manoeuvre in negotiations with Sandro Rosell and his Nou Camp chronies.

Clarifying the state of affairs, while no doubt wanting to tear his hair out, he drew a line under the matter: “I said they don’t want to sell and I didn’t say he was target.”

Arseblog News recognises that when Arsene Wenger denies a transfer rumour it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no truth in it. We also understand that when the boss publicly declares a fondness for the quality of a player under contract elsewhere it doesn’t represent confirmation that he’s trying to buy said individual.

For headline writers it’s the stuff of dreams.  When a denial doesn’t nip speculation in the bud they effectively have carte blanche to repeat said speculation ad infinitum (Yeah, three languages in one sentence…it’s how we roll).

For us poor sod fans who have little better to do but cling to some faint hope that we might sign the kind of super-tip-top-quality-player that Arsene so often pays lip service it’s a vicious circle of excitement followed by angry disappointment.

The problem is, when Arsene really does go out of his way to kill a link with a player. You know, like really, really, really goes out of his way to say something is not going to happen – like he has today – well, then it’s your own fault if you choose to keep hoping for it anyway…

___

Quotes from today’s presser from James Olley and John Cross.

Arsenal will not be signing Wilfried Zaha according to Arsene Wenger, however, the boss has hinted – in that inimitable way of his – that he might try and lure a couple of new faces to the Emirates before the end of January.

Spinning more than a hot-panted Kylie Minogue the boss changed tact for the umpteenth time this month when again quizzed on possible transfers by the press.

Asked initially about his interest in Zaha, a player he confirmed the club had been keeping an eye on but who now looks set to move to Manchester United, Wenger stated:

“If Zaha goes to Man Utd, good luck to him. We were never in for him. Never.”

A firm line drawn under that one and not massively surprising given the success in persuading Theo Walcott to sign a new deal and the interest from rival clubs.

Pressed for further news on signings, the boss admitted that he and his team were still actively scouring the market but wouldn’t be drawn on individuals.

“I will not give you any names. We are working very hard.”

Arseblog News hasn’t the foggiest whether Arsenal are going to sign anyone by the end of next week or not. One thing is for sure, Arsene’s attitude in his weekly press briefings has become increasingly erratic.

Sometimes the boss appears to enjoy feeding the tabloids a morsel or two to feast on (he could have outright dismissed Cavani story last week), then the following week he’s bristling with annoyance that his riddled answers have been spun into ridiculous headlines.

Unfortunately, whichever mood he’s in he seems unaware – or perhaps he doesn’t care – that what he says gets reported to the supporters who increasingly seem flummoxed by his wishy-washy status updates.

We’d suggest reading between the lines again but things seem very smudged at the moment.

Arsene Wenger has praised Francis Coquelin growing stature at Arsenal paying particular tribute to the young Frenchman’s ball-winning qualities.

The 21-year-old, who signed a new deal at the club this time last year, has epitomised what it means to be a squad player at the Emirates making only two starts in the Premier League this term but appearing in some capacity in almost every cup game both domestic and European.

Effectively to be Mikel Arteta’s understudy alongside Emmanuel Frimpong, Wenger underlined how the defensive midfielder has improved since returning from a loan spell at Lorient in 2010/11.

“What Coquelin is doing is quite good,” the boss told Arsenal Player. “His qualities help the team to defend better. He has that ability to fly into people and win the ball back, and that’s something important.

“I believe that there’s an important stage once a player reaches 19 years of age and is not a regular player at Arsenal. [You must] get him somewhere to gain experience.

“It has two advantages. It lifts the potential of the player, gives him experience at the top level and convinces him that he has a chance to be successful.

“When the player comes back, he has experience and knowledge and you don’t have to suffer for the mistakes of a beginner. It gives you more comfort to play him. I never felt that it was finished for him here. I always thought that that’s a learning process of the top level.

“When these players come in, they are always judged on one game. We forget that we have seen Diaby and Song at 20 having difficult games.”

Of course, for Diaby these days it’s not so much the games that have proved difficult but reaching the level of fitness needed to actually get picked. Obviously saddened by the fitness problems suffered by the 26-year-old, Wenger outlined why he’s so compelled to be patient with his compatriot.

“He is a very conscientious guy. You should see how he works, how he is focused every day, because when a guy suffers as much as he did he becomes very professional, very rigorous.

“You have some guys who can drink five beers, come to training, and play and go home and nothing happens to them. And you have other guys who have to look after everything. They become very professional very early in life. And he has always been very conscientious.

“Diaby has a very serious life, he doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t go out, and is very conscientious in training. So you always feel sorry for him, so you always touch wood it will go well for him. Honestly, what he has gone through is unbelievable.”

Having described Diaby on Thursday as ‘an important piece of the puzzle’ at Arsenal, the boss further detailed the lanky midfielder’s qualities.

“He can defend, he can attack, he is strong in the challenge. He can dribble, he can pass players. He is very quick in the transition. He can quickly cross the pitch when you win the ball. And he is good in the air and he is a fighter with great stamina.

“If you love football and you see a player like Abou, you want him to have the career he deserves, especially when he has the attitude that he has. You have to have patience. Because what did he do wrong? Nothing. You have to give him a chance.”

—

In other news, and much like last year when we signed only Thomas Eisfeld, it’s very quiet on the transfer front. That being said a new name has been thrown into the hat as a possible acquisition. Super, top, awesome, killer quality you ask?

* tumbleweed *

French football correspondents Matt Spiro and Ben Lyttleton relay a report from L’Equipe claiming we’ve bid €5 million for 19-year-old winger, Florian Thauvin, who is currently contracted to French Ligue 2 side Bastia. Newcastle are also reportedly sniffing around. Perhaps he’s actually worth a lot more but we’ve conned them into a swap deal for Squillaci?

Who knows…

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that his scouts are keeping tabs on Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and also asserted that Theo Walcott could sign a new deal at the club before the weekend.

Zaha, who recently won his first England cap, has long been tipped for a move to the Emirates although with Manchester United (remember Chris Smalling and Phil Jones?) also sniffing around the highly-rated 20-year-old he stopped short of suggesting a deal was likely.

“We are looking at him, but at the moment we have had no bid,” Wenger told press at his pre-Chelsea press conference.

Eager to stress that competition in the market was high, he continued: “Whenever you call about any player, Man United or Milan are also interested.”

After rumours circulated yesterday that Napoli striker Edinson Cavani could be on his shopping list, Wenger seemed to find the link humorous joking that the Uruguayan would be very expensive.

“He would cost a lot of money. Our banker lives nearby he’s ready if we need him. I like him.”

For those looking for further chinks of light on the transfer front, Wenger also detailed how 90% of deals don’t happen until the final week of the window when prices drop rapidly. We’re a little suspicious of this having seen Andy Carroll and Fernando Torres move for a combined fee of £80 million not so long ago, but what do we know…

On Theo contract talks the boss for the first time since the saga began underlined that a resolution is finally on the horizon.

“My optimism is at 99 per cent,” he replied when quizzed about Walcott penning a new deal in the near future, before clarifying, ”It’s still not finalised, but I hope it will be done by this weekend.”

All in all quite positive. While Arseblog News continues to take Wenger’s words on the transfer window with a pinch of salt, it does look as though Walcott might actually be set to stay.

We’ll be the first to admit we didn’t think that likely given the way these things have panned out in the past. The ins and outs of the deal will obviously be up for debate, so too the manner in which both parties have conducted themselves, but for now let’s just wait for confirmation.

____

Thanks to @JamesOlley and @JohnCrossMirror for their respective live tweets

Despite reports this week suggesting that Theo Walcott had signed a new contract with Arsenal, Arsene Wenger admitted today that nothing has been completed and that he remains cautious over the whole situation.

At his pre-game press conference he said, “As long as nothing is signed, you are cautious. I’m optimistic we’ll get to a happy conclusion.”

Although he did indicate some progress, “The discussions have progressed smoothly but slowly”, and also hinted that he’d deploy the England man more centrally, “He just wants to play. He is happy to play on the flank as well. I see him playing more up front.”

Which would make you think that signing a striker is not high on the agenda. Regarding the transfer market, there was some classic Wenger bingo. Pressed on whether or not new players would be arriving, the manager said, “In England you are always under pressure to buy. We are still working in the transfer market but we only want exceptional players.

“So far we have not found him. We have no problem in players wanting to join us. I’ll give you my phone for 24 hours! We can afford 90 per cent of them.”

Now, if you’ll excuse us Arseblog News is off to make a super, super quality cup of coffee and we might stick an exceptional shot of brandy in it too.

—

Updates via @arsenal and @johncrossmirror

Arsenal’s hopes of signing David Villa look to have been dashed as Barcelona president Sandro Rosell insists the Catalan club want to keep the player until the end of the season at least.

Quoted by @EurosportCom_EN: – Rosell said, “I reject absolutely the transfer of Villa in the January window. He is ours and we need him.”

Arseblog News is aware that there was definite interest on both sides, but that now appears to be dead in the water following Rosell’s comments.

Barcelona sit top of La Liga, 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid, and they don’t really need him so obviously this is revenge for Hleb, and possibly Alex Song.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have been linked with Chinese striker Nao Huan and Russian defensive midfielder Yuri Avinalaf.

Arsene Wenger paid tribute to Kieran Gibbs after the left-back’s swashbuckling goal scoring performance against Swansea.

The England international, who recently committed his long-term future to the club, was an attacking threat throughout the game and looked to have given the Gunners a deserved win when he smashed home a fantastic volley with five minutes remaining.

Speaking after the game about the 23-year-old’s development, Wenger reasserted his belief in the Academy graduate’s bright future.

“I felt that we always created chances from midfield. Their keeper kept them in the game and Kieran Gibbs had an outstanding game. He gets better and better. When you see this kind of game, it’s very positive.

Arsenal have a possible six games left in January including the replay with Swansea on the 16^th, the rescheduled Boxing Day clash with West Ham on the 23^rd, a potential 4^th Round FA Cup trip to Brighton on the 26^th and the small matter of Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

Asked if his squad will be able to cope with the influx of games and whether he’ll dip into the transfer market for reinforcements, the boss continued:

“Yes, if we have no injuries. Today we had four players at home, and I didn’t bring on Chamberlain, Coquelin [or] Rosicky. Diaby’s coming back and if we find one or two on the transfer market, then why not.

Speaking specifically about the possibility of bringing in new faces, Arsene seemed to temper overt excitement about spending Gazidis’ dry powder maintaining the same line he churned out on Thursday.

“Let’s first keep the players we have and maybe add one or two. We lost Chamakh and Djourou now, so there’s some room.”

It’s a bloody tough three weeks ahead – a real make or break period. Fuck up and we could well find ourselves relying on a miraculous Champions League from February. Perform to their collective capabilities and we could well have an exciting climax to the season.

Hey, it’s quiet, any excuse for a cheap gag. We’re not really getting a whiff of anything truthful from today’s rumours, so there’s no point worrying.

Also, there’s a lot of talk this morning about Arsenal’s wages and how Arsene Wenger is the man in charge of them. Headlines from the Mirror, for example, shout:

‘I decide how much my players get paid’

But this quote is worth reading:

I don’t know how it works at other clubs, but the wages at Arsenal are decided in consultation between me and the board. There is an amount of money that is dedicated to the wages every year. Within that budget, we try to come up with payments that are sensible and defensible.

As long as the economical balance within a club is respected and you pay the people with the resources that make economical sense, then it is fine. If I want to pay a player a little more than the budget, then I ask for the authorisation from the board.

While there are obviously issues with wages at Arsenal, some earn too much, some earn too little, isn’t it more ridiculous to think that a manager wouldn’t be involved in deciding what a player earns?

At any club it’s the manager who knows his players better than anyone and is therefore best placed to decide, or at least inform the board, what his salary ought to be in relation to others at the club.

Storm, meet teacup. Now, let’s get on with the business of beating Swansea.