A Dutchman to join RVP @ Arsenal?

Have I got some Arsenal transfer news for you today? I'm not sure stick around and you will see.

First up, the club have been linked with Manchester City midfielder Nigel De Jong by the likes of the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail. It seems like we want to buy any old Dutchman just so Robin van Persie has someone to talk to in his native tongue in the Arsenal dressing room. Let's not forget, the qualities of the 27-year-old Holland international. He's played over 100 games for Manchester City after signing for £18 million in 2009 from SV Hamburg.

Personally, I'd love to see him at the club as he is not called ‘The Terrier' for nothing . We need a midfielder who can harry the opposition. De Jong seems to fit the bill. However, I'm not sure City will sell to us, as I am sure they would prefer the Dutchman to move abroad rather than to a possible Premier League title challenger. Or maybe that's me being too optimistic about our trophy chances next season!

Talking of midfielders, a former Gunner turned TV pundit, Stewart Robson, has launched yet another scathing attack on Theo Walcott. I must admit I don't listen to TalkSport very much nowadays - no slight on that radio station - but I prefer to watch and get my news from TV and the Internet. That's why I came across this story on London24.com. This, apparently, is what Robson told the radio station:  ‘Walcott is a "liability" and should be sold by Arsenal this summer if he is asking for a wage increase. It wouldn't worry me if Theo Walcott were to leave tomorrow. Theo Walcott, for me, is not a good footballer. He is an athlete who puts on football boots. He’s quick, he's fast, but when he was younger he should have been taught how to be better technically, how to find space, how to find awareness. He's never done that and he is a liability when he's defending. If Theo Walcott is after more money, I would let him go.’ A damning verdict.

I must admit I think Robson is a great pundit, but I'm not so sure he would make a great talent scout. Walcott has a superb attitude and possesses enough intelligence to improve his game year-on-year. And he has amazing athletic ability, which at least Robson acknowledges. That is why Arsenal need to keep Theo Walcott at the club, because the best is surely yet to come.

I, personally, think the same applies to Johan Djourou. I read on themarblehalls.com that the defender-cum-midfielder is reviewing his options. He is quoted as saying the following: ‘My situation at Arsenal is not easy. I've never played so little, and especially not in my own position. If an interesting offer comes, I'll look at it carefully.’

Interestingly, Eden Hazard may have overlooked our club for the same reason, that is: not being guaranteed a chance to play in his own position. I think that's a situation that Arsene Wenger needs to address. Perhaps we missed out on Shinji Kagawa for the same reason, as I have been reliably informed he will be going to Manchester United.

One other thing to note, in the article, is the comparison between Gervinho and Hazard at Lille. In two seasons, apparently, Gervinho scored 28 goals and provided 14 assists in 67 league games. Hazard, in comparison, only managed 27 goals in 76 league games, however he provided nearly doubled the number of assists: 25. If Hazard is as ineffective as Gervinho was at the end of the season, then Chelsea have wasted a lot of money on a hyped-up so-called superstarlet.

Finally, there's a story on Sky Sports regarding former Gunner Striker Eduardo. The Brazil-born Croatia international could be ready to return to the Premier League one day. Although, Dudu was a crowd favourite I cannot see him returning to Arsenal. Since his horrific injury, in my opinion, he has not been able to reproduce the scintillating form that saw him join Arsenal in 2007 for around £7.5 million from Dinamo Zagreb. At that time, he was scoring around two goals every three games. Now he is averaging less than a goal every three games. He’s 29-years-old now and has two years left on his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk. Do the maths! He won't return to Arsenal .

Huge Arsenal bid for Hoilett? - toilet-paper news

You can't believe what you read nowadays and that goes for broadsheets as well as red tops. And local papers that take stories from broadsheets. Check out The Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette, which runs a daily transfer news column. Nothing wrong with that, but best to get the facts right.

Blackburn's Junior Hoilett is a free agent this summer, according to The Metro and everything else I've read and heard, so it's not going to break the bank to get him. There may be a nominal fee payable to Blackburn for development costs because of the player's age, but that will be it.

Therefore, it makes the notion that we will have to offload Nicklas Bendtner, Denilson, Sebastien Squillaci and Johan Djourou to free up cash to sign Hoilett all the more ludicrous. Although it's supposedly in The Times, it's Hoilett toilet-paper news to me!

Arsenal's worst-kept secret revealed

Arsenal's worst-kept secret is now public knowledge: Manuel Almunia is leaving on a free transfer. The official Arsenal FC website has revealed the news, and so the next question is: will there be many takers? I can't imagine 'the Spanish waiter' (as some people call him) getting a Premier League club, and my guess is he'll have to drop down a division if he stays in England or moves to one of Europe's top leagues (Spain, Italy and Germany, in case you're wondering).

The biggest mystery to me is why Lucasz Fabianski hasn't joined Almunia on the Arsenal scrapheap, if his contract has also expired. Anyway, also leaving with our best wishes are Gavin Hoyte and George Brislen-Hall amongst others. Those two will get clubs easily enough, but might have to drop down two divisions. Striker Rhys Murphy, goalkeeper Sean McDermott, versatile defender/midfielder James Campbell and winger Jeffrey Monakana are also looking for a new club.

Meanwhile, talking of players on the move, Ryo Miyaichi could be returning to Bolton next season. The Bolton News are running with that story and who are we to disagree? Bolton should be a good bet for an immediate return to the Premier League and it will be good for Ryo to get experience of being top of the league, albeit in a lower division. Then again, if he's been playing with injuries caused by Premier-League tackling, he can expect a lot worse in the Championship. Not that he'll worry about that. You can't question Ryo's bravery, judging by what I've seen.

Much less likely to happen are two transfer moves involving Arsenal that are being reported in The Week. Toulouse midfielder Etienne Capoue could be on the way in, while Johan Djourou is on his way to Juventus apparently. Can't see either deal happing, personally, but I'm getting sick of people undervaluing Djourou. He had a dodgy season, I won't deny that, but he's had a lot more solid games for Arsenal than Philippe Senderos did when he was with us and he's far more versatile than Big Phil. I can't see Djourou leaving this summer, but if he does go I'll be disappointed as it's always good to have utility players. Especially when your squad is as paper-thin as Arsenal's!

Finally, the bookies have got us as 20/1 outsiders to sign free agent Didier Drogba. I'd love to see 'The Scourge of Arsenal' at Arsenal, but it's not going to happen. The ex-Chelsea striker will be off to China to join former Gunner Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua

Wenger is not mad at all - proof of the pudding

In a week when we hear half the dressing room wanted to leave at the end of last season, it was gratifying to see nearly everyone pulling the weight away at Marseilles. Talking of half, the Stade Velodrome was just over half full due to stadium renovation. Nevertheless it was rocking and in football-speak: 'a daunting place to come to'.

James Boylan of the Metro called Arsenal's subsequent display 'unusually defensively solid' and despite Carl Jenkinson's handball that wasn't penalised and Loic Remy's nutmeg of Per Mertesacke, it's true to say Arsenal were largely untroubled at the back.

However, Andre Santos still looked woefully short of match-fitness despite his fine array of party tricks and was somewhat fortunate not to get his marching orders after a blatant second yellow card offence. The already-booked Brazilian got away with what looked like a half-hearted deliberate handball, so can count himself lucky to have completed the match.

My favourite lettuce, meanwhile, Laurent 'Kos' Koscielny held the back four together almost single-handedly. Okay, it wasn't Premier League opposition but Kos was man-of-the-match by a country mile.

Further up the pitch, Arsenal disappointed. Andrey Arshavin will be picked on for a poor display, although I'd argue he made the most incisive forward pass in the match. Nothing came of it so it will be forgotten but his contribution was not significant enough for the captain of Russia.

His replacement, the Wales skipper, Aaron Ramsey won the game, of course, with a superb strike from a Johan Djourou cross. Yes, even the out of form JD performed well on the night, as a replacement for the crocked Jenkinson, who had his best game in an Arsenal shirt.

It goes to show that Wenger is not mad after all as JD can play right back, as can Jenkinson. The only caveat for now being they can play there against European opposition. Let's hope they can do the same against Stoke. That will be the real proof of the pudding!

Sunderland at home, easy for Sagna's replacement?

We can sleep easier at night now Wenger has told the media we have 3 potential replacements for the injured Sagna already at the club. Jenkinson. Mmm. Kos 'who has been educated as a right back' oh yeah? So why haven't we seen him there? Djourou. We've seen enough of him in that position thanks. And Santos. It's going to be hard enough for him to adjust to the Premier League without having to play on the wrong flank.

Playing a right-footed player on the right is a football basic. On the wing you can try a left-footer who can cut inside and shoot or pass but it doesn't usually work at right back in as much as a left-footed right back is ill-equipped to stop crosses coming in. So unless Santos is a world-beater or the opposition is sub-standard, we can expect crosses to rain in from our right. Good job Szczeny's in form.

With so many reasons for confidence how come I couldn't sleep? It's only Sunderland at home right?