Silly season record

Today's Arsenal piece in the Daily Telegraph is speculation on a whole new level, even for this Silly Season. Never before this summer have so many rumoured moves in and out of the Arsenal squad been mooted.

Reporter Jeremy Wilson not only reports on the sales of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri, 'likely to be completed before the start of the Premier League season on Saturday'.

The prospect of Arsenal getting £60m burning in their pockets with three weeks left of the transfer window has the normally grounded Wilson in orbit. He racks up so many players that I suspect he reads the rumour updates on this blog.

Not only does he repeat the 'three principal targets' for the middle of the defence: Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill and Christopher Samba. The Arsenal manager is also 'expected to renew his interest' in Juan Mata of Valencia further forward.

These names all belong to players who have been linked with Arsenal for so long that no research or forethought goes into mentioning them. Wilson, however, is creative enough to dig deeper in this Silly Season's history.

A bid for Karim Benzema 'can also be expected,' no less. Even if the report grudgingly admits that the French striker is adamant to stay with Real Madrid. Eden Hazard and Mathieu Valbuena are mentioned as 'creative midfielders who Wenger has tracked'.

Finally, the piece also mentions the rumours around Nicklas Bendtner's search for a new club.

All in all, ten - 10 - transfer moves are rumoured in this single article in a well respected English broadsheet. Sources quoted in the report: zero. Sources mentioned in the report: zero. Not even a whiff of an anonymous, well or poorly placed club official, or someone close to the club, or someone close to any of the players, or friends or family. Zero.

If that's not silly, I don't know what is. 

[Added:] Another record was set within 24 hours, but the Daily Mail. Three reporters share the byline for a story suggesting thirteen - 13 - names in and out of the Arsenal squad...