Hello, fancy seeing you here?

I try to blog every day about Arsenal and that means I need new content every day, lest I fall into the trap of sounding like some forgetful old maid that tells you the same story very time you meet her. You know, the story about her nephew Jimmy and the car/job/wife/pet he has. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about…

So when Arsenal decide that once again for what feels like the seventeenth summer running, we have yet another transfer saga that stretches out like an Arizona desert, it becomes quite a challenge to form new opinions that don’t sound like I’m creating the world’s most drawn out blog. Maybe that’s what I should have done:

Robin van Persie is leaving the club….

still leaving….

still leaving…

yet more of the leaving

Leav…..

We all know what’s happening – we’ve become accustomed to it so much that half of the Arsenal fanbase probably believes that the players draw lots at the end of each season to see who will get all of the attention this summer. Last night we were treated to yet more rumour and conjection as it emerged that Juve had once again decided to come to the table with an upped offer. Music to the ears of every Arsenal fan. If we can get shot of him so we only have to see him in the Champions League then I’m A-OK with that. Let him have his reported £190k per week and play in front of half empty stadium. Can he do it on a warm and balmy Tuesday night at Lecce? I hope he will.

Elsewhere in the Arsenal world, Chamakh has had his say on proving to the boss that he can recapture the form that saw him look such a useful addition when he arrived. He will most certainly start in today’s game against a Malaysia XI (real football!!! I know!!!) and so with Giroud and Podolski still in the UK, it’s his time to shine. I think Chamakh is a classic example of a player that needs plenty of games to prove he can be useful. The problem is that we don’t want first team regulars that we can describe as ‘useful’. We want players who are world class and, unfortunately for the Moroccan, he has never really fit that description. An impact sub/squad player that needs five games to get his stride is as useful as right handed tin opener to a south paw. It would be great to see him prove his worth and show more fight than he did last year, but I wonder if that ship has sailed to be honest.

Santi Cazorla news is still knocking around, with the Spaniard telling Arsenal he is willing to join them, which is great news if a deal can be done. The Arsenal hotline, for any of you that wish to do the same, is 0800 800 800. Simply ask for Arsene and leave a message after the beep. He’ll be calling me any day now…

Seriously though, I hope this happens, but I suspect a lot will depend on the crazy Qatari businessman that currently owns Malaga. They have to pay their dues (tax, wages owed, transfer fees, etc) by Tuesday 31st next week and when you read a bit more into the workings at the club you wonder whether Malaga will just wait until 30th July before bundling a bunch of Euros into a black plastic bag and shoving it through the letterbox of the Spanish football federation with a note saying “can you pay all the businesses and people we owe please”. If they do something crazy like that, it means that they can play hardball over Cazorla and his €45million buy out clause, but if they don’t then it might be an easier conversation that Arsenal can have. I hope Arsenal act fast and get the guy in soon – we don’t want another Juan Mata situation.

Anyway, that’s enough of my gabbing, I’m off to enjoy the sunshine. Oh, no, wait a second, I’m not, I’ve got to spend a day in an office. Joy.