Such a draft, even after two months

Even though the transfer window closed after 31 January, it sure hasn't shut tight. It seems like there are more Arsenal rumours in the air than ever before. On the 2013 summer rumour page, you'll see a compilation of no less than 103 - one hundred and three - professional footballers linked with a summer move to the Gunners.

As always, the list is sorted alphabetically, with each mention in the so-called serious media linked. These rumours aren't spread by men in pubs, these appear in print - or as close as it gets in the 21st century.

103 names in 59 days is almost 1,75 new players linked to the Arsenal per day. Words fail me.

These are the top 3 so far:
1) Stevan Jovetic, forward, Fiorentina, 56 mentions.
2) David Villa, forward, Barcelona, 42 mentions.
3) José Reina, goalkeeper, Liverpool, 36 mentions.

Montenegrin striker Jovetic is, despite his tender years, old news in an Arsenal transfer rumour setting. He was first linked by UK radio station Talksport, an outlet without enough credence to be included among my regular sources, in September 2011. He was only included on the 2011/12 winter rumour list back then because the BBC and the Daily Mirror lent credibility to the rumour by quoting it.

This winter, almost half his mentions were in the run-up to Montenegro's World Cup qualifier with England last week. A quote from a press conference where he spoke of an "affinity" with Arsenal was all it took for the rumour to fly around the world.

David Villa, on the other hand, was flavour of the month for February. Arsenal's reported attempts to sign the out-of-favour Spanish international in January kept his name in the running for a few weeks. Then he started appearing and scoring for Barcelona again, and the rumour has since died down.

Liverpool's Pepe Reina has similarly been a hot target when Arsenal's current 'keepers have had bad games, or when his own fortunes at Anfield have been scrutinised. But what really brings Reina to third place overall is that goalkeepers are linked with Arsenal like never before these days. The Spaniard has been a reported target since April 2010 (the link to the Sunday Express story has later died) and his name often pops up whenever any other goalkeepers are linked.

The top 3 for goalkeepers are:
1) Reina, 36 mentions.
2) Victor Valdés, Barcelona, 31 mentions.
3) Asmir Begovic, Stoke, 27 mentions.

Valdés and Begovic both look to leave their clubs for new challenges. More times than not, it seems, that is reason enough to link them to Arsenal.

When it comes to the forwards, the story is different. After Jovetic and Villa, many names are mentioned without anyone standing out. It's symptomatic that Carlos Vela is third on that particular list with 16 mentions. The Real Sociedad forward has spent the last month assuring that he'd like to stay in Spain even if Arsenal have a buy-back-clause after his transfer last summer. There is absolutely no reason to think that the Mexican would have any role to play at the Emirates next season.

As for defenders, the top 3 are:
1) Ashley Williams, Swansea, 32 mentions.
2) Fernando Amorebieta, Athletic Bilbao, 12 mentions.
3) Nicolas N'Koulou, Olympique Marseilles, 8 mentions.

By far the hottest rumour is Welshman Williams. He is, however, coveted by other Premier League clubs as well when the rumour is reported. Liverpool and his former manager Brendan Rodgers were the main interested party when the rumour was first reported in the January window by the Daily Mirror. Since then, most mentions have been a re-hash or other of this original rumour.

The midfielder top 3 are:
1) Étienne Capoué, Toulouse, 22 mentions.
2) Victor Wanyama, Celtic, 16 mentions.
3=) Mario Götze, Borussia Dortmund, 6 mentions.
3=) Sebastian Rode, Eintracht Frankfurt, 6 mentions.
3=) Alex Song, Barcelona, 6 mentions.

In brief, the rumours are that Arsenal are looking for a replacement for Alex Song. However, this is so difficult that Song himself is a prime candidate!

(How easily Gooners forget screaming at the so-called defensive midfielder for straying out of position in game after game, never really replacing Gilberto Silva.)

Oh, and Arsenal are looking at youngsters in the Bundesliga. There really are a lot of rumours about up-and-coming, short-arsed, technically gifted, attacking midfielders about. As if Arsenal are lacking.

To put it briefly, only the Stevan Jovetic story qualifies as a proper rumour. It carries the weight of at least some quotes, interest has been reported for some time and by many different media outlets. Not that all that should mean anything at all in football's ever expanding Silly Season.