Planning further ahead

The final game of the season will decide if Arsenal finish third, fourth or fifth in the Premier League. A win at Newcastle means that Arsenal qualify for next season's Champions League regardless of other results.

A win will be crucial for Arsenal's transfer dealings. Reports, rumours and common sense all suggest that a number of deals are put in place for the summer already. But it's more than likely that some of the players in question have Champions Leage qualification as part of their demands. Arsenal finishing fifth will probably mean some deals are off.

The strongest rumour in this vein concern the Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic. The Montenegrin international has been heavily linked with Arsenal through the last three months, and before that since October last year. But one of the most sought-after attackers in European football won't choose a suitor in the Europa League.

The deal for Nacho Monreal was originally set up for the summer, but was fast-tracked in January because of Kieran Gibbs' injury. It's just an example of how Arsenal run things: plans are made way ahead of the normal tabloid Silly Season brouhaha.

The Yaya Sanogo deal is another example of this. In the season's final pre-match press meeting, Arsène Wenger confirmed that a deal is in the making for the French youth international. Sanogo is out of contract in the summer, but Auxerre in Ligue 2 is due a compensation.

The Sanogo story first appeared in the French sports daily L'Equipe (not online), which was quoted in the Daily Star on 7 March. By that time, it was reported that Wenger and Arsenal's France scout Gilles Grimandi had already met the player with a view of signing him in the summer.

A "Wenger signing" if I ever saw one: young, French, cheap, injury prone and immensely talented.

In other words: not Wayne Rooney. That particular rumour has manure-stirring, cash-eyed agents' speak written all over it.

There are more deals in the pipeline, I am sure of it. But the names aren't necessarily listed here. Arsenal are better at keeping deals under wraps than most.