We've passed 30.000 visitors on the blog this summer, thanks to everyone for your time and interest.
We've also passed 119 players linked with Arsenal since late March. That's impressive even for the Silliest of seasons. After England got knocked out of the World Cup the tabloids suddenly started to pick up transfer rumours again, so we can still extend the list.
Here are the author's current ranking of the Top 5 Arsenal transfers still likely to happen:
5. Loïc Remy: OK, so it's just his desperate agent crying out, but I couldn't make fifth place a tie for 'everyone else'. So I'll give the Nice forward the benefit of the slight doubt: just maybe Arsenal might be interested to shell out £10m on another striker. (I'm not convincing myself here.)
4. Joe Cole: this saga almost rivals the Cesc-to-Barca-or-not carousel. Cole is reported to make a simple choice between the two sides of North London. Though his eternal soul is at stake, he might still end up at the Dark Side of Seven Sisters Road.
3. Mark Schwarzer: the only goalkeeper who has been linked continously for more than a week or so (Buffon held the last record). It all depends on what transfer fee Arsenal are willing to pay for a 37-year-old.
2. Kyle Ebecilio: Dutch media have reported this as a done signing weeks ago. The Feyenoord youngster is said to move to Arsenal for a £500k compensation only. Another prospect for the reserves at 17.
1. Laurent Koscielny: already a done deal according to the Sun and the Daily Mail. The player surrounded by the most persistent rumours all summer. Expect an announcement on July 1.
So for the really Silly Top 5:
5. Takayuki Morimoto: just to remind you all about what kind of players Arsenal were linked with back in March. The Cagliari striker didn't get a sniff of World Cup football for Japan, either.
4. Gonzalo Higuain: deserves a mention again after climbing to the top of the World Cup scoring charts. As if Real Madrid needs to cash in on him...
3. Edin Dzeko: a familiar face on any Arsenal rumour list except the one on this blog. Last linked with Arsenal in the January transfer window, his name has been put forward again by sport.co.uk in connection with several Premier League clubs. The Bosnian striker has a buy-out clause of £32.5m in his Wolfsburg contract, so... I think Wenger'll settle for 40 or 50 teenagers instead.
2. Mikel Arteta: the Spaniard is rumoured to leave Everton, despite promises to the contrary. The reason is reported to be illness in the family that prompts him to return closer to home. London isn't that close to Spain.
1. Juan Roman Riquelme: this 32-year-old Boca Juniors playmaker's agent issued what is known in the media as a "come-and-get-me"-plea to Arsenal. Didn't bother to do much research first, I gather.
Well, it's July soon and the contracts expire. Let's see some action then.
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