The Arsenal squad is precariously thin, and the coffers are swelling. A typical reaction is from Bolton manager Owen Coyle, quoted in the Sun about Gary Cahill:
"I'm fair-minded and if someone makes the right offer we can do business."
You can just about see the pound signs in Coyle's eyes. Bolton's position in the week old negotiations with Arsenal is way better than only 36 hours ago. As is every other club shedding over-paid players. Earlier rumours would bring Everton to mind, as Arsenal have been linked with half their starting XI since their financial troubles were made public a week or so ago.
But there are other Blues who look to sell, too: two of Chelsea's recent rejects have been linked with Arsenal today.
Yossi Benayoun is 31, has lost his shirt number to former Arsenal target Juan Mata, and has a bidding war going on for him between Liverpool, LOSC Lille and Arsenal. So say the BBC and Sky Sports, both claiming to have their own sources.
For the Arsenal defence, Brazilian international Alex is considered, looking surplus at Stamford Bridge. The Sun today repeats rumours from Saturday that Arsenal are to bring him to North London. That is, if Juventus can't bring him to Northern Italy. The two clubs might also compete for the services of Dutch international winger Eljero Elia, having his head turned from Hamburg SV towards whoever pays him better, it looks like.
ESPN and the BBC both run with Alex' international teammate André Santos leaving Fenerbahce for Arsenal. £6.2m or €7m, it would still be a steal to get Brazil's first choice left back. At least, it would look so.
How come all these names pop up now? Are there just agents, again, using no-comment Arsenal to gear up European clubs to act in the final, frantic moments of the transfer window? I believe that, but not only that. Gooners may well see that flurry of activity that they've wanted for so long.
Many commentators, Amy Lawrence of the Observer included, have criticised the set-up at Arsenal. The club's dealmaker Dick Law is singled out as too inexperienced. Are we now seeing the manager himself wading into the market? Has the international break given him time to act in the transfer market himself, pushing Law and Ivan Gazidis aside?
The reports of Park Cho-Young's path to Arsenal seemed out of character for Arsène Wenger. No meticulous scouting lay behind the bid, it seemed. It looks like a "smash and grab" deal: the South Korea captain grabbed, any cordiality left with LOSC Lille smashed.
Obviously, Park is a player Wenger knows well. With time of the essence, my guess is that he now brings out older shortlists, bidding for players he for some reason have kept away from earlier.
Wenger's knowledge of players is vast, it is said, and even if he surely has limitations, he might well be taking the reins at this crucial time himself, signing who he needs to do what he needs as he sees fit.
If I'm right about this, I've only two words of warning: Sebastién Squillaci. Almost exactly a year a go, Wenger signed the French international just a few days after learning of his availability. Even if his Arsenal career started well enough, he quickly became a synonym and symbol of Arsenal's defensive cock-ups.
The question not asked by Gooners at the time was: why would Sevilla move him on at the eve of their new season? His performances in the Premier League may have provided us with an answer to that, I'm afraid.
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