First, there are the possible remaining exits from the club. Watching Lukas Podolski play last night makes me believe that something is afoot or he’s in a big sulk right now. He looked completely disinterested. This morning Schalke 04 are said to be interested, so maybe there is the chance of him moving.
Of course, Niklas Bendtner should be moving, but where is another matter. Chu Young Park has mysteriously vanished, although there was that one picture of him that Frimpong tweeted. Somehow the Gunners also need to deal with him.
Emmanuel Frimpong has also been rumoured to be leaving, but he has just returned from injury and it might be harder to move him along.
Next, there are the possible moves into the club. I’ll deal with each position separately.
Goalkeeper: Damian Martinez is a good young prospect, but he needs experience and should go out on loan. Wenger could gamble and keep him in the squad, but Martinez won’t get the game time and if he has to play and doesn’t succeed, Arsenal will look irresponsible for not strengthening the position.
I’m not sure that Wenger wants to buy another starter, although he may be angling to take Julio Cesar at the last moment when QPR will give him away for nothing to get his salary off their books.
Can I really see him spending 15 million pounds to buy someone like Stoke’s Begovic? No. He may admire him, but Wenger’s too cheap. He’s more likely to raid Stoke for Thomas Sorensen or Jack Butland.
He’s just as likely to bring someone in we’ve never heard of before. Either way, I cannot see him breaking the bank when it comes to a goalkeeper.
Defence: Even Wenger believes we’re thin on defence, but has he done anything about it? No. He seems to believe we need one more player, but reports are that he wants another right back.
There have been a number of reports linking us with Schalke right back Atsuto Uchida. The theory is that he wants him to take over from Sagna and for Sagna to provide backup for the centre.
Micah Richards could perhaps be useful as well, filling in for two positions, but his injury record is a concern and his price would be high.
If Wenger chooses the centre back route, then Ashley Williams of Swansea and Toby Alderweireld of Ajax would be the two leading options. We’ve been linked to both, especially Williams, but Wenger doesn’t value Williams at 12 million pounds.
Given Koscielny’s suspension and injury one would have thought that Arsenal would be bringing someone in as soon as possible. However logic plays little part in Wenger’s strategy.
The Holding Midfielder: Every Gunner fan knows a strong bodied shield for our defence is needed. Since Alex Song’s departure we’ve looked a lot more fragile in the middle.
We’ve been linked with every breathing available holding midfielder in Europe, but Wenger has not bid for anyone yet. He only has bid for players not for sale like Lars Bender at Bayer Leverkusen.
Wenger likes Gonalons at Lyons and Gundogan at Dortmund, but those players are not for sale. Neither is Paul Pogba at Juventus.
The only players who are available that he might like are Kondogbia at Sevilla and Matuidi at PSG.
The cynic in me is starting to think that Wenger will bring in Matthieu Flamini on a free transfer from Milan. Wenger has become sentimental in his old age, having brought Sol Campbell and Jens Lehmann back in recent years, and Flamini would be cheap and useful. Not only that, but he is already practicing with the squad.
Yohan Cabaye is probably targeted for the position as well. He plays similarly to Mikel Arteta and can probably fill much the same role as Arteta.
Left Winger: Having sold Gervinho, having lost Oxlade-Chamberlain, and having a sulking Podolski, there is perhaps a need for another player who can play on the left wing.
Arsenal were looking at Grenier of Lyons and the Brazilian Bernard, but they apparently made low bids and failed to land either of them.
Arsenal continue to be linked to a number of young players who can provide width, players like PSV’s Bakkali and Roma’s Lamela. How legitimate are these rumors? We’ll find out soon.
The one rumor that surfaced yesterday that was intriguing is that of Real Madrid’s Angel di Maria. He’s a classy player and the chance to get him is very enticing.
Forward: Luis Suarez is dead to me, says Arsene Wenger. Wayne Rooney? I can’t see it, but Wenger has yet to rule it out.
Michael Laudrup of Cardiff ruled out selling Michu. Pellegrini ruled out selling Edin Dzeko. That apparently left us with no options … but wait, Karim Benzema gallops to the rescue.
Real Madrid are in need of cash and Benzema may want to leave. Was this the endgame all along? Soften up Liverpool but wait on a possible deal for Benzema?
Can you see it, Florentino Perez and Arsene Wenger working together to each get what he wants? Too Machiavellian? If they did, it backfired as Wenger took the flack for not making any moves.
However, should Wenger be able to pull Benzema out of the transfer hat he will finally manage to emerge from the summer as a hero. Should he fail and land someone else who doesn’t convince the fans he’ll forever be remembered for the summer of inaction.