Arsenal are still in the market

The Arsenal first team have lost two players in Robin van Persie and Alex Song this summer, but have strengthened with three international attackers. Reports differ on the accounting; some claim Arsenal are break even, others that they may have reached a profit of as much as £9m.

For new recruit Santi Cazorla, the money burns in the pocket. He's quoted in the Daily Star and the Daily Mirror:

"... there are still 10 days left in the market. I do not know if we will sign ­anyone, but obviously it’s important to replace players like that because they were important for the team.”

And the Spaniard got an almost immediate reply. Manager Arsène Wenger goes further than usual when confirming that Arsenal are still in the market.

"We are looking to bring one more midfielder in of course, and maybe one defender as well because we still feel we are short in some positions."

More often than not, comments like that mean that signings practically are in the bag already. Various media report that Nuri Sahin of Real Madrid is the midfielder in question. A loan with an option to buy looks to be consensus among the sports writers.

As for the defender, I can't help wondering if Wenger were to repeat his deadline day trick of last season. True to form he could bring in a former target who has just become available at a knock-down price... and might even solve the problem of having Nicklas Bendtner around London Colney.

Step up, Philippe Mexès of AC Milan, rumoured to be makeweight if the Italians are to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic with just as much arrogance from across the Øresund bridge. Both the Sun and the Daily Mail report that the Danish and the French international could switch places before September.

He has been linked with Arsenal on and off for years, like in May 2010, or June 2003, or March 2011, or July 2007.

Mexès, now 30, is still a French international, but haven't impressed anyone at Milan. In his one and only season so far, he's played only 21 games. He's amassed 29 caps over 11 years, very much a backup choice at centre back. That's 8 caps more than Sébastien Squillaci, to make an obvious comparison.

But I hope that signing another Squillaci isn't what neither Cazorla nor Wenger have in mind.

Bridges burned or kept

This week, the Arsenal transfer rumours are about two stars possibly leaving. As one of them is Robin van Persie, the word "possibly" rings false for many of us Gooners. However, he hasn't left until he poses in another shirt on another club's website.

Where van Persie has burnt his bridges in the eyes of the fans, Alex Song hasn't. He insists that he is happy at Arsenal, even if he is aware of interest from other clubs. He even has the good sense to confirm that one of these interested parties are Barcelona, but that doesn't change his official stance as a player wanting to stay.

In the Daily Mail, the interest in Song is described as 'another unwanted headache' for Arsène Wenger. It's been reported earlier in the Guardian that the midfielder's desire to explore other options has rubbed the manager the wrong way, and that rumoured interest in Real Madrid's Nuri Sahin is a direct result.

But according to the Daily Telegraph, Arsenal are using any interest in Song to pry loose Cristian Tello, one of the brighter lights on the Barcelona bench. It all falls into a familiar pattern: rumours added to whispers on top of theories: 2+2 = 7,5.

All the while, Robin van Persie looks to have just one opportunity left: leaving Arsenal for Manchester United. Manchester City can't afford him without selling one of their current strikers, and Juventus seem to have lost their lure in the ongoing match-fixing scandal.

Sadly, his chances for trophies are arguably the same at United or even smaller. It might seem that the "direction" he disagrees with at Arsenal is too many midfielders in the squad, seeing as United lack in that department. All he can achieve is more money.

However, the mega-rich owners of Manchester City aren't predictable. The ongoing power struggle between manager Roberto Mancini and director Brian Marwood is being played out in front of the media. The puzzling signing of Jack Rodwell, another midfielder in a squad of plenty, doesn't suggest stability and cohesion either.

That's why Manchester City is still a possible destination. Perhaps the reportedly concrete interest from sir Alex Ferguson is what their neighbours need to get into gear?

Your guess is as good as mine.

A new-look Arsenal midfield?

The least secret signing since... er... Lukas Podolski has been announced by arsenal.com this week. Negotiations were obviously hard; confirmation came late, but this time at least simultaneously by Arsenal and Màlaga.

Santi Cazorla can play right, left and centre, but he's still an attacking midfielder. So are Aaron Ramsey, Tomas Rosicky, Andrei Arshavin and probably Mikel Arteta. Even Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby - if ever injury-free - would prefer offensive roles in the Arsenal midfield.

The endless influx of creative, attacking midfielders has brought beautiful football to Highbury and the Emirates. But have Arsenal really had a dependable midfield anchor since Gilberto Silva left in 2008?

Emmanuel Frimpong and Francis Coquelin are still considered unpolished for first team duties as anchors. Which leaves Alex Song, now courted by Barcelona.

The Daily Mirror's John Cross has written a column with some excellent points on Song. A player who is expected to balance the midfield, but spent most of last season trying to assist Robin van Persie - and sometimes succeeding, by all means. But Arsenal need an anchor. A season where 49 league goals were let in underlines the fact.

And aren't there so many targets: Yann M'Vila of Rennes is never far from the newspapers, especially not when Cross is the author. Étienne Capoué of Toulouse has been linked, and today he's also replaced M'Vila in the France squad. But even though British media always want to link Frenchmen to Arsenal, the hottest tip is still a loan deal for Nuri Sahin of Real Madrid. A prodigious talent originating at Borussia Dortmund, he only got 10 appearances and one goal for his new club last season.

A short-term deal for Sahin would make sense. For Arsenal, he'd fill in as a defensive midfielder while Frimpong and Coquelin establish themselves. At Real Madrid he has five years left of his contract, and manager José Mourinho is likely to still want him in his future plans.

With Sahin as a designated anchor, Arsenal's formation will be even closer to an old-fashioned 4-3-3 and less like the fashionable and modern 4-2-3-1 of last season. The problem has been that the two defensive midfielders weren't. If Arteta was available, the midfield was balanced. When he wasn't, the whole team's performance suffered, with or without Song as a token anchor.

I believe Arteta's strength is being calm and creative at the same time. A true defensive midfielder would free him up to go forward even more.

But for Sahin to be brought in, Song - or someone else - will have to leave. Arsène Wenger respects the Premier League squad rule.