Which is why this morning, despite everyone’s hopes and ambitions, Santi Cazorla’s transfer has still not been finalised. Arsenal hope to announce next week that the Spaniard has joined, especially as he is widely reported to be playing next week in Cologne as the pre-season preparations draw to their conclusion.

Cazorla has reportedly been signed for anything from £12.5m to £20m, the disparity of estimates is staggering even given add-ons. Hailing him as Arsenal’s most expensive signing is perhaps premature; the money has to be paid on the clauses for that to be confirmed. Malaga will, of course, tell us how much the total deal might be worth when they brief the press whilst Arsenal will just call it as it is: “undisclosed”. It is infuriating for the observer to see this frequently cited transfer fee. As understandable as it might be during the window, there is no reason why Fifa cannot extract the data from their transfer system and publish a list of deals post-September; I am sure this is all part of Sepp Blatter’s new transparency plan.

You have to laugh otherwise you launch into a diatribe about how crap Arsenal are at managing the process of transfers. God, I hope he’s worth it after all this…

Arsène isnt’ finished. As Ivan Gazidis quaffs his champagne, savouring his elevation to mover and shaker in the English game to accompany his pan-European duties, Wenger is giving the company credit card a battering by tempting Jose Mourinho into parting with Nuri Sahin. You can almost sense the hypnotic spell that he has woven around The Not-So-Special One with the Madrid manager’s words,

He’s a young boy, he wants to play every match. We are not an easy club, because we demand a lot. We have great players, and when you don’t start well, it is difficult.

The full quote was more damning,

If he stays, he’s not a problem for me. He’s one more solution. We are leaving the situation in his hands.

It isn’t exactly an advert for the bright young things in the game, is it? Don’t come to Madrid because we’re an impatient bunch who think nothing of casting you adrift when you turn out to be not quite so good as Messi. Oh and by the way, I really don’t care if stay or go, you solve problems either way; stay and I have options on the bench, go and I have options on the bench.

Stockpiling players is all very well and good since it prevents your opponents from buying them but it creates its own problems when those players want to move because of broken promises. That’s Madrid’s problem, Arsenal once more looking to take advantage of the very nice mouth which the gift horse has.

Hmmm. The unexpected end of week is morphing into a weekend of the unexpected. Hints, nuances and the hand of agents are everywhere in the media, particularly concerning the future of Robin van Persie. The Malagese Soap Opera is amusing to an extent whereas its Dutch cousin is frankly tiresome. The opening credits were dynamite but like many a Hollywood blockbuster, its overblown, overlong, not saying much of interest and massively over budget.

According to The Daily Heil, van Persie decided he would go to Germany. What a good chap he is. Of course, the small matter of contractual obligation had nothing to do with it nor the realisation that his transfer to Juventus might take as long to arrange as Cesc’s did to Barcelona; several summers. Arsenal’s hand apparently strengthens each day it drags on without resolution. I understand the argument that Arsenal should cut their losses and take whatever the Turin club offer for the sake of stability but I disagree with that notion. And there can be no countenancing of any idea of selling him cheaply to either Mancunian club. None whatsoever.

Arsenal are keeping the door open, massaging reporting angles to make it easier for the player to swerve the awkward position which his website statement put him in. Pet paper of Peter Hill-Wood it might be but Daily Star reporter David Wood has given the Dutchman the perfect backtracking path this morning, making it seem that the player is impressed and has got his own way…

Finally, the new site will go live on Monday morning. Further details tomorrow as the final step is migrating the email subscribers over.

’til Tomorrow.

I don’t have the patience to watch entire 90-minute matches from decades ago as a routine, but thankfully many other people do. And what’s more, these beautiful bastards cut the videos down to include only individual performances by certain players.

Obviously these videos aren’t the perfect way of sizing up a player, since they don’t capture off-ball movement, and record only his touches – usually in grainy, primitive footage. But they’re bite-sized and ideal for people with short attention spans.

Anyway, what was I talking about?…Oh yeah

So, watching these performances 30, 40 or 50 years after they happened doesn’t suddenly give me licence to talk about people like Pélé or Johan Cruyff with any authority; really, I just feel I’m doing my duty as a fan of the game to check out these players at their peak – so I can pretend to talk about them with authority!

But often without realising I’ve forgiven the greats every time I’ve watched them. If there’s something that looks somehow gauche or unathletic I’d accept automatically that I’m watching a match from a different time, with different standards of skill and physical preparation.

That’s before we talk about tactics. On one of my timid visits to the football pantheon I happened across Franz Beckenbauer, facing England in the momentous encounter during the 1970 World Cup. The man they called the Kaiser would pick up the ball from the ‘keeper and stride forward in his trademark style time and again, riding challenges and threading passes for the attackers.

Something wasn’t right, and it was only when I read the comments underneath the video that I realised what it was; none of the England players were closing him down. Yeah, I learned something from a Youtube comment!

Granted they were playing in searing heat, at an elevation of almost 2,000 metres above sea level, but there seemed to be no interest in halting the progress of one of the best players in the world before he got to around ten yards from the penalty area.

Well of course. I’m a novice at tactics, but, for what I know, pressing wasn’t widely adopted as part of a team strategy at this point. But it’s not like England are standing off him and hoping to clog the area in front of the box either; Beckenbauer’s being given the freedom to lope past an attacker and a couple of midfielders before anyone wondering whether this bloke who’s not half bad at football has gone far enough.

Afforded so much space, it’s not surprising to see Beckenbauer find his teammates so often. One player who seems only to find his teammates a few times during an entire match is the Brazilian winger, Garrincha. In the 1962 World Cup he carried a winning international team to success in a way that no other player has done since, apart from Maradona in 1986.

And such was his popularity that he was known as “The Joy of the People”. In a sport of emperors, princes and galloping majors, Garrincha’s epithet is endearing for its sense of humanity, and the love for the game that it expresses – that a footballer should be a source of gladness for people under an authoritarian regime.

When he’s got the ball you can see how he earned the tag. There can’t have been many more unpredictable players around at the time. By most accounts he made more additions to the dribbling lexicon than any other footballer to have played the game. You probably know this, but his spine was crooked, and one of his knees pointed the wrong way from birth. This is partly what allowed him to change direction in such bewildering ways.

I can remember talking to someone who said he was a football scout in the pub a few years ago. That’s the level of insight you’ve come to expect from one of my posts!

He said that among the first things they assess in a kid are his or her knees and gait. By today’s recruitment standards, Garrincha wouldn’t have got past a minute of assessment. And, if you didn’t already know, his knees did give in, but not until he’d changed the way people thought about how an individual can express himself on a football pitch.

But even in his great performances he gives the ball away far too much for the taste of fans living in the era of possession-obsessed teams.

So I suppose the point – banal as it may be – is that we’ve got to admire these guys for clearing the path for future generations. As late as the 80s, the greats played with leather footballs that would get saturated by water when it rained, toiled on poorly maintained pitches, in matches officiated by referees who often didn’t just overlook but encouraged violence. As I mentioned, these footballers changed what people thought was possible.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Football is evolving, and each innovation is assimilated then eventually countered. The rules have been changed to allow skill and enterprise to flourish – raised boots and tackles from behind earn straight reds and backpasses are illegal. We have better guidelines for developing youngsters, technically and physically. We know the importance of mental and tactical preparation. Garrincha would step onto the pitch without knowing who his opponent would be!

They also face teams that are better drilled, and systems that are more detailed. Coaches now spend hours poring over video footage. Arsenal employ people fulltime to compile videos. Personified, its culture might be morbidly obese and on life-support, but on-pitch, standards are higher than they’ve ever been. But then that’s just natural.

Videos by: http://www.youtube.com/user/zouzinho5 and http://www.youtube.com/user/digiprez77

It won’t be long to wait either. The puns and the signing, if reports are to be believed. Did we get this far with Juan Mata last summer? I can’t recall there being flights booked for him to come to London and have a medical. Not for Arsenal, anyway. Presuming of course that Yann M’vila’s tent can be moved off the treadmill. Ah, the salutory warning arrives. We’ve been here before, we’ll be here again.

I know that the two cases are slightly different – OK I don’t know that they are and frankly I cannot see any difference between the two, save for the financial plight that Malaga find themselves in. Rennes have a proper, bona fide, certified Sugar Daddy; one intent on having a well-run club. The Andaluz club had to happen at some point; fake sheikh’s or at least ones who do not care for football and when things are not done their way, taking the highway out of town, leaving the footballing hopes of a city in tatters. Malaga will survive, in what form is not yet known with more brinkmanship from potential purchasers but the pitfalls of wanting money – any money – to arrive at the club are in plain sight.

For Cazorla, the chance to play in the Champions League and potentially win trophies, it represents too good an opportunity to miss. For Arsenal, the signing would strengthen the squad without doubt. Cazorla is versatile, more than a back-up plan in case someone leaves. It represents ambition, a desire to strengthen the squad, to enable a group of maturing players to challenge for trophies. Ricky (@GeezyPeas) hit the nail on the head yesterday,

Forget using who we’ve signed to justify ambition. We are ‘The Arsenal’ where ambition shouldnt be questioned.

Yet we always seemed surprised when Arsenal sign good players. Especially when they are relatively expensive. That may not apply to Cazorla where the fee has been strongly rumoured to be lower than the £17m or so reported in this morning’s press. With Malaga’s debt believed to be twice that, such generosity cannot be expected; even desperation has its limits.

What does Cazorla mean for Arsenal, in broader terms of activity this summer? To begin with, I think his signing would scotch any deal for Sahin. Too many attacking midfielders spoil the broth. There are only so many players who can pass the ball around the box without taking a shot. The Spaniard’s versatility offers so many options across the midfield that signing another creative player strains the senses.

Talks are ongoing with Theo Walcott’s advisors – and Arsène is rumoured to be holding talks today with the player – which hints at progress, doors remaining open rather than ajar. I still believe he will sign a new contract at the club; either that or he has seen the reaction Robin van Persie received with his announcement and is playing an altogether more canny game. If he goes, yes, Cazorla is insurance and Sahin makes sense as a signing. Bear in mind the ultimate loser in the Turkish international joining appears to be Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and I cannot envisage a scenario where Arsène would ‘kill’ his career.

A statement is expected from Malaga today on their whole situation and it seems inconceivable that they will not refer to Cazorla speculation in those circumstances. If the statement is made…hope lives or dies in this instant world in which we live.

Elsewhere, Emmanuel Frimpong is having to reassess the pricing of his clothing line following the FA fine of £6k for his Twitter indiscretion. Frimpong called it an ‘expensive month’; the master of the understatement indeed. Robin van Persie apparently has signed for Juventus already according to an Italian agent who has been referred to as a ‘mover and shaker’; St Vitus Dance might be another explanation for that. A shame that the Turin club is in all sorts of disarray at the moment. A shame for the story since it puts all sorts of holes in it.

Alex Song and Marouane Chamakh are apparently ‘outcasts’ at Arsenal now. I know, I know, I shouldn’t have continued reading the story but Charlie Dubuck in this morning’s Daily Express appears to know nothing about the club whatsoever and just for Song being termed an ‘outcast’, it is worth reading. It brought a smile to my face.

’til Tomorrow

Anyway, this one has the legs to run and may well be into next week before the game plays out. New owners coming in, bills to be paid, sheikhs whose rattle and roll betrays their empty pockets. It is the makings of the another Arsenal footballing novel. With that in mind, Arsène‘s words strike a chord that Chuck Berry might have enjoyed,

Overall we are not mega-rich because we do not have unlimited resources. A club can buy players like PSG has done or Manchester City or Chelsea, with unlimited resources, but overall football suffers.

Europe at the moment is like the Titanic but we live in football like nothing matters. More than ever we have to run our club in a strict way because it looks like everybody suffers in Europe. I would be surprised if football is not touched by it at some stage.

If you look at debt in football across Europe at the moment it is quite massive and we have to be responsible. We have to be ambitious but also make sure we are not getting in trouble financially.

There is nothing new in the mantra; self-sustaining is often confused with parsimony and profits. It is neither; profits are reinvested at the moment in the playing staff. The derision that the policy brings obscures issues, how the club invests this money and the salary policy whilst inter-related, can be dealt with separately. Ivan has stated that the salary structure is being re-aligned but with players on contract, that is not an easy task since the club is legally bound to honour those terms.

It has caused problems in selling those surplus to requirements, notably Sebastian Squillaci whose move to Bastia fell through because they could not afford to pay him that which he desired. Resolution of this will take time and in today’s world, that is a precious commodity. Too many blithely dismiss this by telling us that if we got rid of the ‘deadwood’, we could pay Robin van Persie what he wants. Were that it was that simple.

My view on that is shifting somewhat. Instead of strengthening an opponent, I would rather Arsenal kept the player for the final year of his contract, forcing him to see it out. Anyone who believes we owe him his freedom has forgotten the nature of his website statement. It doesn’t matter if Vos or someone in his employ wrote it, Robin takes resp0nsibility for that. Or sacks his agent, if the intent behind the statement did not represent his own views. He will be thirty by the time his contract ends and as such diminishing returns set in over the coming season. It might be that next summer he decides he wants to stay and that fits with Arsenal’s plans. If he goes, he goes. A disaffected player can be disruptive; van Persie strikes me as too professional to be that. I could be wrong but that is my instinct.

As it is, Arsène has bigger fish to fry but offered some warning that ransom demands won’t be met,

It is difficult for us because the wages in some other clubs are very high. But of course our players quite rightly compare themselves to the players of the other clubs.

In other words, we have our salary cap and won’t go above it. International football has long been a place for sowing the seeds of discontent. Players talk about their wages, you only have to read any book by footballers from recent times to know this practice still goes on. It gives them the chance to gauge their own value and to put out feelers if they are unhappy, knowing that an international colleague will make that discontent known.

A lot of figures are thrown around without any substance. In the case of Theo Walcott, the current favourite conspiracy theory is that he wants the same that was offered to Robin van Persie. I suspect that is not the case although he probably would not turn it down if offered. And let us not forget that this is the mating dance, posturing to show the world their feathers. The clubs do it by claiming poverty, the players do it via their agents drumming up feigned interest from other clubs and the media mix it all together for the public to lap it up.

Elsewhere, Steve Kean is eager to prove his managerial aptitude by signing Park, Mamadou Sakho is going to leave PSG with Arsenal amongst the usual suspects put on ‘alert’ by this news. God forbid that the player’s agent might have already contacted Dick Law. Meanwhile Yann M’vila has been heavily linked with bastions of multiculturalism, Zenit St Petersburg as Arsenal’s interest in Victor Wanyama is prolonged by his agent. More I am sure will emerge over the next twenty-four hours. God I miss Soap.

’til Tomorrow.

Any failure to land the deal in what are being portrayed as ideal conditions is going to bring forth a welter of criticism; it is inevitable. Even if the player decides to stay, it will be Arsenal’s fault; you know that the agendas are set in such a way that the good news is almost a fluke, the bad is the expected level. A good season might alter that but views are entrenched and it will take more than one season to change them. Arsène said that he wanted to avoid last summer’s supermarket dash; perhaps this week will see him stocking up on supplies. Question is whether or not the sales have started.

Other deals are bubbling under. Less than twenty-four hours after reportedly walking away from any deal, Juventus have apparently found enough money to make Arsenal an offer they cannot refuse. Can He do the same? In such an atmosphere of speculation, little wonder that any news is treated as gospel. Since that statement, the captain and his advisors have remained the quiet, the hand of the latter can be seen behind some articles, the hand of the club behind others. You wonder if the prevaricating from Turin is actually their negotiating stance or Arsenal taunting their Mancunian rivals, daring them to spend next week’s pocket money today.

Wojciech Szczesny offered an interesting insight into the possible sale of Him,

It will be disappointing if he leaves because Robin is our captain and he’s our leader. I’m very happy to have him at the club. He’s still an Arsenal player and we support him all the way. At the beginning for pre-season last year everyone was saying it was doom and gloom with everyone leaving the club. No-one’s left the club at the moment. We have new signings, we’re stronger defensively and so we’re in a better position.

It was a bit different last year because we all knew Samir (Nasri) and Cesc (Fabregas) would be leaving but now we believe in the squad more. We’re more confident that the players we have are good enough to play for this club and challenge for trophies. Those who were lacking experience last year have that experience. We have a couple of signings, more players who can score goals.

Steve Bould’s appointment was heralded as the dawn of a new era for the Arsenal defence, the man had to have a plan to improve the deteriorating goals against column in recent years. The expectations are still there yet they need to be tempered; any decrease is to be welcomed but to expect too much is folly. Of course there needs to be a benchmark for reduction, the manager and coaching staff will have identified a total they want to task the defence with achieving; it is ludicrous to expect them to do nothing in that respect. Public utterances of such a target will be allusory rather than made of stone.

His involvement has been welcomed by some of those who went on tour with Szczesny talking more frequently about the impact than others,

We’ve done a lot of [defensive] shape work in training, work on when we lose the ball and a lot of defending on crosses. It’s all very sharp as well. Steve likes to shout at players and keep them on their toes – so it’s looking positive.

Surely I am not the only one who read that and thought that the infamous rope had made a return to London Colney? It will need some more slack in it to allow Thomas Vermaelen’s forays upfield to continue in open play.

The key to all of this is held in organisation. Each of the players needs to know what is expected of them in set and open play; they need to understand their roles more decisively than before. Zonal marking requires a defensive discipline that was often lost last season with ragged passes punished by opponents of all standards. The start to this season is tough; a few clean sheets would do the club the world of good, on and off the pitch.

That is the common theme through today’s post. The people most affected by the summer shenanigans are supporters. This is the time for new hope and that seems to be noticeable by its absence. I don’t know why; I do know why. The contradictory stance is because of the wait for the inevitable departure. Martin Keown spoke yesterday about Arsenal signing world-class players who can have the impact of Bergkamp. That is too high an expectation, the club is in a different place today than 1995. As much as we need quality players to challenge at the top, for me there is a change to mentality required.

Arsenal have signed two players already. As Szczesny notes, they improve the goal output of the squad currently. Podolski and Giroud are not forgotten men but they are being overshadowed by this uncertainty, by not having seen either play for Arsenal. That might have been the miscalculation over the tour of the Far East and not having a replacement for the cancelled match in Nigeria. But it is what it is. Not long to the first kick-off of the new campaign and then we can eulogise all we want. Hopefully.

’til Tomorrow.

In that sense he has seen the potential and knows that they are coming along but not yet ready to usurp any of the current first team incumbents. Afobe, Aneke, Yennaris and Eisfeld are proof that the Academy is preparing players well for future seasons. Afobe is this morning linked with a loan spell at Bolton. I know some will prefer a Premier League club but the expectation is that Bolton will be in the upper echelons of The Championship and the urgency of play in that division is maybe a steeper learning curve than the top flight might ordinarily offer.

Work needs to be done. Integrating new signings in the next fortnight is no small endeavour and having just one friendly is not an entirely satisfactory state of affairs but that is how events have played out. The manager is not happy with this, admitting that Giroud and Podolski may be ‘eased’ into the team in competitive matches; the suspicion is that this will depend on the situation with Robin van Persie. The Dutchman’s advisors were reported to have told United that a Rooney-sized salary will match his ambitions. Rather simplistically, that presumes Arsenal will give away the family silver once more. The cards are dealt and we see how the hand plays out.

Speaking before the team headed home, Arsène observed that there would be a match behind closed doors, albeit the first team vs reserves,

I decided to have one game behind closed doors to try and get a good opponent but at the moment it will be behind closed doors against ourselves. I have organised a training camp in Germany ahead of the Cologne game. It is a little bit unusual for us.

There is benefit in such a fixture although painful memories will recur for one or two of the squad who have fallen foul of the injury curse in previous summers. Even so, it is not ideal and that inference can be drawn from the sign-off phrase from the manager.

Aside from that, the defending in these three matches has been somewhere between woeful and abject. This is tempered by several caveats, not least of which is that the first choice backline has not been used. However it is the positional play which has caused most problems and the disorganisation on the pitch, baffling. Each of the goals conceded has been of Arsenal’s own making, none possessing the ‘Wow’ factor indicating it was an unstoppable passage of play. Malaysia took advantage of the lack of covering from midfield, advancing into shooting range. City took advantage of spaces afforded whilst Kitchee just took advantage.

It is disappointing to look back and see those goals go in; individual mistakes happen and the lack of urgency due to the nature of the matches contributes but some of the mistakes were so basic that even conceding them in training would bring derision. None of that will be lost on the manager and coaching staff, as post-match comments have indicated.

Commercially the feedback seems positive. A major objective of the tour has been achieved as the club seeks to exploit a lucrative market. Presumably this leg of the tour will be paired with Africa next summer, hoping to fulfil that excursion following this summer’s aborted playing visit to Nigeria.

This is reportedly a big week for Arsenal. Malaga’s financial deadlines expire today and contradictory reports emerge on an hourly basis from Spain. Big-wigs flew in with furrowed brows, players were excitedly left at home from tours even though there was apparently no plan to take them in the first place and those who should not be travelling have been smuggled into hold luggage. In other words, the usual rumour and subtefuge. As expectations rise, the likelihood of it all falling flat cannot be shaken. Just when you want something to happen, nothing does. Experience teaches us this but it doesn’t stop the hopes spiralling.

It seems that players deemed to be ‘deadwood’ are going to be departing this week. Wenger took the unusual step of naming Squillaci, Bendtner and Park as heading towards the exit door with a pace rarely witnessed on the pitch. With Park, anything on the pitch was rarely witnessed. Arshavin is the curio; no-one seems to be keen to commit to anything, other than his agent who is adamant that a big wage packet is going to seal any deal. It isn’t that simple but such honesty is refreshing in a game where loyalty is a card often overplayed.

His client’s time at The Emirates may not be over; the suspicion must be that this will depend on where Arsène sees his main role from the bench. Centrally, the Russian might be convinced to stay provided that he can convince the manager he will offer consistency. The likelihood is that remaining at Arsenal will see no change to the bit-part role which led Arshavin to a loan in St Petersburg and as such this staying seems a remote outcome.

’til Tomorrow.

We have some young players who are already experienced, for example if I tell you Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, you will tell me he is not young but he is 18 years old. Jack Wilshere is 20, Aaron Ramsey is 21 and we have some more young players who might push up this season.

On tour we have Chuks Aneke who has shown quality and of course Ryo. We also have younger players who are 16 or 17, who are not with us on tour, who will certainly appear this season. We are faithful to what we want to do whicih is to promote young players and give them a chance at that level.

Phone calls have no doubt been made to their respective agents already, ensuring the players know that whomever the current incumbent is at whatever club, he has always been a huge admirer of their abilities. Too cynical? Possibly but it didn’t stop that uncomfortable shift in your seat for a split-second did it?

As the club reportedly fend off intent from Southampton to re-sign Theo Walcott by opening talks with his advisors, transfer activity is expected to pick up in the next seven days with media-imposed deadlines heightening the expectation over Cazorla and Sahin whilst Celtic’s Victor Wanyama is the new kid on the media speculation block. It deflects attention away from the weight of expectation on current midfielders.

Jack Wilshere’s injury has been the subject of much speculation and it is a concern. Understandably the club wants to avoid putting pressure on the player and rushing him back. Headlines this morning that he is out until October fit in with how I understood the comeback was being managed in the first place? Maybe I missed the memo where the manager said Wilshere would be fit for Sunderland in which case I can see why October might be considered a setback. As it is, there is too much sensationalism around the player’s fitness. Is it perchance due to the paucity of talent in the national squad?

One who will know how Wilshere feels is Abou Diaby. The French midfielder is perenially classed as a new signing by the manager, every summer brings the fresh hope that he will be fit. Every autumn, the hope fades.

It is a crucial season and it is really important for me to be back strong and have a very good year

The player is acutely aware of the damage being done to his career, more aware than anyone else. Constantly struggling with injury means that as time ticks by, other clubs – as well as his own – will lose faith in his ability to stay fit. Few in this money-conscious age will be willing to take a chance on him, certainly not at the salary level he is accustomed to. More importantly it is the psychological impact upon the player? How will he be affected by another setback? It is not just the supporters for whom pre-season is a time of hope.

Elsewhere, the hawking around Europe of Nicklas Bendtner continues unabated with Spartak Moscow the latest cash-cow that his advisors are seeking to exploit. Andrey Arshavin is a continued target for Fulham who will no doubt look to revive the image of Tommy Trinder with their cheeky £1m bid for his services.

Football this afternoon for my youngest, will be a welcome distraction ahead of a busy couple of weeks off the pitch before the Cologne friendly.

’til Tomorrow.

Which is probably a technique Arsène wishes he could employ on the local press in the Far East. Having been irked by reporters asking only about Robin van Persie in Beijing, according to tweets this morning from Hong Kong, the first two questions from a local reporter were about the Dutchman and when the club would enjoy a cash injection to enable it to catch up with the parvenues. The usual deflected answers were put to one side as his irritation showed through at press conferences in Beijing, is the tension getting to him? I doubt it, more likely his annoyance was from having watched his hotch-potch side give a good account of themselves and lose somewhat harshly by two goals to Manchester City.

In terms of the overall performance, it was quite good. The passing was decent and good chances were created. It was encouraging to see shots coming in from outside the area and with no recognised first choice strikers on the tour, that is not surprising. It is something which should be encouraged in the Premier League; there will be plenty of worse performances by first choice goalkeepers compared to yesterday’s good outing from Pantilimon.

Luck certainly eluded Arsenal; I doubt that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could repeat the feat of hitting both posts and having the ball spin to safety in another 500 attempts. The difference between the two sides was clinical finishing. City afforded Arsenal as much space as Jenkinson did in the build-up for both goals but when the chances fell to those in red, shots were blocked, blazed and skewed wide of the net. Positives can be gained from that.

Yes, there will be concerns about positioning for the goals conceded. Jenkinson was culpable of affording too much space but the problems started higher up the pitch, his rawness showing as he tried to rectify them. Context tempers concerns; in the intensity of a Premier League battle, the tackles fly in and the midfield would have been more hotly contested as the moves progressed. I am sure that Steve Bould will be working with the young full back to ensure he learns from this experience.

The manager is not overly concerned, publicly at least,

Overall what is important for us is to see everybody play and give everybody competition. We lasted 90 minutes at quite a good level.

That is probably right. Despite media attempts to make the situation out to be despairing, I am not sure many are worried at this stage. We know there is work to be done, last season showed that. But it also showed there is a strong base to work with and that is sometimes forgotten. It is illogical to believe Steve Bould could have an immediate impact when the squad has not been together for more than three weeks, a lot less in some cases. There is a similar amount of time before the visit of Sunderland to The Emirates on the opening day and the work needed will take place on the training pitches at London Colney.

City were one match further into their preparation and that I think is where I am uncomfortable with this summer’s build-up. Previous summers have seen the club play half-a-dozen friendlies; at the time of writing there are just four, and only the visit to Cologne for Giroud and Podolski to be managed into the team. That seems a touch light although there is time I suppose for a match to be arranged in the fortnight break between Sunday’s friendly and the German trip.

Away from the pitch, the hype surrounding transfers showed no sign of quelling with Nuri Sahin apparently signed on a year’s loan according to reports from Spain. It was the footballing equivalent of a hurricane warning as that deal was then downgraded to a loan deal with a Premier League club, the Turkish international was reportedly a makeweight in the transfer of Modric to Madrid making that club seem more likely to be Tottenham. Santi Who?

Arsène denied that any transfers were close, which is his code for something is actually happening, and cleverly chose his words – even in anger – over van Persie; nobody had contacted him about the Dutchman since the original bids except this morphed into him denying the bids ever happened in the subs room as the headlines were hastily drawn up.

That’s it for today, the dying embers of this fleeting summer are in the air. Enjoy.

’til Tomorrow.

So, the rule says that to avoid disappointment you shouldn’t buy into transfer talk until you see the player in an Arsenal shirt on the website. It’s a good rule, but I think we can be more flexible than that – you could take interest a little earlier and still avoid jumping the gun most times. There’s usually a piece on the BBC site before the club announces something.

A little less reliable are the broadsheets, which employ some respected journalists who tend not to engage in idle chatter, but can miss the mark all the same. These guys report or speculate on the early stages of a transfer. They’ll get their information from agents or sources within clubs, who’ll stand to gain an advantage by making the news public, or occasionally they’ll have a direct line to the player.

I’m bringing this up because I’ve been a bit obsessed this week. From the moment Santi Cazorla’s possible move was mooted I’ve paid shamefully little attention to any other Arsenal story. Barely noticed the imperious Laurent Koscielny signing a new deal, and the friendly against Malaysia might as well not have happened. So you can tell that something’s not quite right.

I respect the rule, but then I can’t think of many potential Arsenal deals that have involved a player I admire as much as this one. When I was in Spain he was brilliant – compact, nimble, ambidextrous, nippy and technical. The play flowed through him even though he was out wide. I plucked his name from the babbling stream of Hispanic vowels and consonants thanks to its constant repetition by the commentators. I didn’t know who he was before 2007, but after I saw him the first time I’d occasionally make space on my heavy football platter for the odd Villareal game.

He got injured in 2009, and missed the matches against Arsenal. When he returned he was a slightly different player. He’s hardly slow now, but was a bit quicker in 2007; maybe a little more dynamic in the way he moved. No matter – over time he’s developed a sophisticated passing range and drifts inside more often. His control and understanding of the game has improved.

I remember him in an unjust defeat to Barcelona a couple of years ago. He was out on the left and deep, but brushed off pressing Barça midfielders and, with inch-perfect through-passes, created enough chances for Giuseppe Rossi to win the game for the team. He forced two wonder-saves from Valdés with long-range pile-drivers

The danger of writing a blog 16 hours before it’s published is that the paragraphs above could be redundant and not just a little poignant by Friday morning. I have no inside information, just lots of enthusiasm. Call it a balm for the wounds inflicted by RvP.

It might even be dead as I type this, or he could be an Arsenal player by next week. I don’t have a clue. So, I’ll recount what I’ve gleaned from this story, so at least I’ll know that my week of fixation amounted to something. Most of this is paraphrased from real journalists.

Wenger has always liked him, but the word is that his interest was piqued when Fernando Hierro walked away from his Technical Director post at Málaga in May. The man’s a local hero and wouldn’t take such a decision lightly – there were claims of unpaid wages, overdue tax-bills, reneged-on promises and transfer fees outstanding.

Normally I picture Arsenal as a big cat on the savanna, impassively surveying the herd for signs of weakness or naivety. Giroud had an enticingly low buy-out clause. Podolski was a big player at a small club on its way down. Everton needed to get Arteta off their books. André Santos’ former employers were caught up in a match-fixing scandal.

But only last summer Málaga announced their arrival as one of Europe’s moneyed colossi. Apparently we spotted a chink in their armour when Hierro walked out. It only follows that their star players should start to get restless.

Since then they’ve done no transfer business. It looks to many like nobody has been at the wheel for months. The owners have been quiet, apart from Abdullah Al Thani, president of the club, who took to twitter in the middle of this month to bemoan the unfair distribution of television money in Spanish football.

While most people who don’t support Real Madrid or Barcelona would agree with him, it all begs the question – why would someone whose family is known to enjoy almost unlimited wealth be so passionate about television cash after throwing money around so readily just a few months ago?

Does he want the club to sustain itself now it’s on the cusp of Champions League qualification, facilitating the sale of a big name to make ends meet in the short-term?

At the first hint of his name around two weeks ago, it seemed to me as an uninformed observer like something might be possible. And Wenger’s responses to questions since the weekend have only fanned the flames. Initially he joked that he didn’t know who Cazorla was; later he said the club was working on a deal, and then on Wednesday joined Arteta in praise for the player – all very out of the ordinary.

The consensus is that the player is unhappy at his club. It’s clear Arsenal want him. Respected journalist Sid Lowe claimed that he’s even agreed terms with us. But we all know what they say about best-laid plans, mice and men.

We’ve been dealing with the equivalent of an oil tanker overseen by a disparate gaggle communicating via Chinese whispers. Now Mr Shatat is at the wheel, they might weigh anchor and chug away over the horizon with a newly flush Cazorla on board. Knowing the financial punch the Al-Thani family can pack, the union of Wenger and Cazorla could remain hypothetical forever more. And given the trouble some technical players have dealing with Premier League clatternaccio, maybe the transfer is best admired as tantalising but unrealised potential.

Whatever happens from here – it looks like we’re on the prowl for an attacking midfielder this summer.

Whilst many are presuming that his choice is the No.10 shirt about to be vacated by Robin van Persie – or not as the case may be – but I  have a suspicion that he is hankering after the No. 9 shirt allocated to an unknown youngster by the name of Park; looking forward to his breakthrough season at the club. Or is he just lusting for 52 when Bendtner goes to Celta Vigo?

Transfer talk is dominating the airwaves at the moment. Peter Wimsey momentarily removed his left foot from his mouth to insert his right, with a naive statement about van Persie’s situation. It is a peculiarity that his media organ of choice is the Daily Star, although the ties between that paper and his father’s pet media outlet, the Daily Express, are extremely close. The suggestion is that he has a good working lunch relationship with well-known toff, Brian Woolnough.

With Arsène talking freely about signing players, it was no surprise to learn that Santi Cazorla and his agent met with Malaga yesterday to discuss the ongoing problems on the Costa del Sol. Mikel Arteta made sure that the welcome mat was rolled out even further, although he was careful not to become embroiled in a tapping up row with his countrymen,

I cannot talk about the actual situation but I can say that I know him as a player really well. And he’s a top, top player. He has got unbelievable quality and talent and that is all I can say.

It’s enough of a recommendation for me. Arsène saw the open goal and hammered home from close range,

I share the opinion of Mikel Arteta. Cazorla is a great player.

Let’s hope negotiations are more successful than with the last Spanish international midfielder we tried to sign; God help the board if it falls through over £200k again.

Whilst Cazorla can play across the midfield, the initial thought is that he would put pressure on Theo Walcott but I am not sure this is the case. Tomas Rosicky is once more recuperating from injury and my own view is that we have sufficient cover in the wide attacking midfield area. A triumverate of Song, Arteta and Cazorla would be a strong attacking line-up but would allow Song to concentrate more on marshalling the midfield in its defensive duties. This is before promising youngsters such as Coquelin are brought into the equation. I am not sure about Frimpong though. He had good initial games last season but I wonder how much impetus has been lost with his injury. Certainly another loan spell would seem the likeliest option for him whilst it is difficult to see where Henri Lansbury fits in at all, especially with the other younger players making decent outings in the pre-season games so far. As much as we want Steve Bould to organise the defence, the message needs to get through that the successful teams defend from the front when not in possession.

The real pressure on Walcott comes from Oxlade-Chamberlain. The youngster seems physically stronger than Walcott at a similar age and that physique has helped his progress. The thought must be crossing Walcott’s mind that having the same pressure in the England team is something of a message? Whatever the case is, Arsenal have strength in depth on the wings with Gervinho, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Podolski to name but a few. Using Santos as a wide midfielder might be a tactic employed more often away from home, to offer Kieran Gibbs more protection although that team ethic was a quality noted in Podolski by the manager during the summer. It is a failing from last season which on the face of it has been addressed.

Oxlade-Chamberlain offered his somewhat beleaguered manager some support. At a time when players he has nutured are seemingly turning their back on him, Oxlade-Chamberlain sang his praises, offering an insight into how the manager thinks about football. I wonder if his apparent obsession with fitness is an extension of his early impact on the English game or more acutely influenced by injuries suffered in recent seasons? It is an interesting read, with an insight into what appears to be an impressive application of the lessons he has learned in his career.

’til Tomorrow.