The market where Arsenal still are a big club

The slightly more credible rumours these days - slightly, I tell you! - stem from France.

There's almost a kind of bonanza, with Yann M’Vila, Marvin Martin and Kevin Anin all linked to Arsenal and their weakened midfield. Only last week, Olympique Marseilles players were linked by the bucket, prompting their manager Didier Deschamps to admit that Arsenal had a loan offer for Lucho Gonzalez turned down.

I believe that any recruitment on Arsenal's behalf in what's left of this window will happen in France. Arsenal can still compete with Ligue 1 salaries, and Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have signed enough players to swell their squads.

City and Chelsea are working hard at unloading senior players who won't fit in the 25 man squad that the Premier League stipulates. Chelsea have a willing buyer in Hamburg SV, where their former servant Frank Arnesen now buys all his former Chelsea purchases again, only on the cheap. City are worse off in that respect. Emmanuel Adebayor is rumoured to leave on a free transfer, just to get his wages off their bill.

The final attraction that Arsenal have in France is Arsène Wenger. While the English papers are aiming to portray him as a beaten man with no credibility left in football, his countrymen know better. The French are still envious of his and Arsenal's success, and it's no coincidence that the oil-rich new Paris Saint-Germain board approached him well before Leonardo.

In any case, remember that any whisper of Arsenal’s dealings in France are made by the players and their agents. It might be to put pressure on Arsenal by inviting other offers, but just as well to invite better deals at their existing employers.

Or – as they often do – they use Arsenal’s name to attract any other interest because they know Arsenal will never comment.