Latest News....Injuries...Transfer rumours....

Both Rio Ferdinand and Robin Van Persie trained today with their respective clubs. I expect Rio to start for Manchester United but I am not so sure about RVP. He has missed four games and I suspect that he won't be risked in the starting eleven.

As the silly season approaches, agents are trying to move their players and journalists are desperate for something to write. Put those two factors together and you get a flourish of transfer rumours as the season ends and we enter the summer break, particularly if there is no major tournament to provide a distraction. Man City are going for the record of being linked to the most players, but from the Arsenal point of view, we have been linked with the following over the last weekend:

Sakho, Inler, Santa Cruz not to mention Wheater, Bassong and Lescott previously, oh and Arsene Wenger has been given £40 million to spend in the summer. Coincidentally, this is the same amount offered to him by Real Madrid to become their new manager and be ordered to win the Champions league and La Liga every year or be sacked. Surprisingly Arsene turned them down. I think the only consistent transfer target seems to be Sakho, although the rumoured fee is a ridiculous £12 million for a 19 year old! Can't see that happening, although my understanding is that Wenger is interested in the player.

Milan declare that Adebayor is staying at Arsenal which can be directly translated into: we are going to do our level best to sign Adebayor from Arsenal. If they offer silly money (which some would say is above £12 million) then I think he may be on his way. An offer of above £20 million might be too tempting for Arsene or more importantly, Ivan Gazidis to turn down. Expect the links with Santa Cruz to intensify if Ade goes. As for other outgoings, Clichy and Van Persie have been directly linked with moves away, and in a typically shoddy piece of journalism, the NOTW has declared that Arsene will struggle to hold on to RVP, Cesc and Walcott. Why? Because they are in contract negotiations at the moment. Surprise surprise. I expect all three to still be at Arsenal next season. The most likely to leave if any is RVP.

But the most pathetic piece of so-called journalism this week goes to the Daily Mail and its affiliates for reporting the ridiculous and pathetic story about Arshavin. I won't bore you with the details and I'm sure you have all read it, but essentially it is a quote from an interview with his agent that suggests that Andrey hates his team mates because they are all French, they are jealous of him, and he is unhappy being played out of position as well as, you'll never guess, other big clubs are now interested in signing him...Groan...Anyway, it was only a matter of hours before his agent came out and strenuously denied he said anything of the kind and he never gave any such interview. Sadly, there is no accountability for there 'journalist' and further reinforces my belief that they belong somewhere in the close vicinity of Judas Escariot (see Dante's inferno). Unfortunately I'm a devout atheist, so I will settle with sleeping with the earthworms.

Speaking of which, Stan the US sports tycoon, has increased his share of Arsenal to surpass that of Red and White Holdings. Stan, now the UK board members' luvvy, seems to be preferred as the lesser of two evils. Arsenal is now effectively foreign owned, so I suspect the Etonians might just decide the American is better than the Russian and Dein. A complete takeover before the summer is not impossible now the lockdown agreement has expired. Hence the rumours of massive transfer war chests. We wait in anticipation. My guess is this will rumble on for a few months more as the power brokers wrestle for position, and Nina decides what to do with her shares.

Congrats to the team for their performance against Portsmouth, although 3-0 was slightly flattering! Amazed he didn't give Arshavin the chance to play in his favoured position but still Carlos Vela did well and joins the growing ranks of small skilful players who will likely be playing out of the flanks because there is no room for them up front where they would all prefer to play!