30 Days to go – groan.

Coach
By Boris Mellor
January 1 2005

We can now look forward to transfer frenzy up to the 31st of January. As usual the press is full of speculation, no doubt much of it spin put out by agents hawking players, or trying to negotiate a better deal, or ectension, for an existing contract.

Managers, including Wenger, will lay the usual smokescreens and red herrings. Souness denied another offer for Boumsong and signed him the next day. Nobody guessed that Wenger would sign Reyes, and Arsenal.con was the last place to have the news (see update below).

Much of this frenzy is more froth than substance, but football fans live in hope and every bizarre prediction is lapped up as we buy the Red Top, we said we would not even use for the cat litter tray, on the basis of some hare brained exclusive.

Now’s the time to scour the web for those inside stories from a mate who knows a bloke who works in a boot room somewhere who overheard a phone call. I remember one such tale (that Sol was coming to Highbury) when Campbell was looking for a Bosman, to my eternal grief I refused to believe it.

At present the rumours surrounding Arsenal are more about players leaving, rather than arriving. We are still unclear about Edu’s future, now there is doubt over Lauren. If the stories about Lauren are true (that he has only been offered a year’s contract) then he could be on his way by summer, Pennant is also awaiting a new contract.

According to some papers (and much of this should be taken with a very large dose of salt) Wenger wants to replace Lehmann and Almunia. That would leave us very short in the goalkeeping department. So he would have to bring in at least one new goalie. Van de Saar has been muted but Wenger does not normally sign coffin dodger’s – least ways not since the Sukor saga. Cudiccini or Niemi might be good, but would probably cost too much. But all this is speculation – the point is to ignore it all. Arsenal.con keep us all waiting but at least you know it’s true when the news finally appears.

So lets try and relax during the next month, yes that is a boring idea, but Wenger probably intends to use the youth far more rather than buy, which could be interesting.

And in case you have forgotten Eboue will be eligible to play from January the 5^th.

Happy New Year

UPDATE

Tonight on Five Live Arsene said he had no intention of signing anyone. But if anyone knows of a brillant player going cheap please contact him with the phone number. Truth or bluff? You decide.