Will Wenger be tempted by a cheap Honda?

Reports from Italy suggest that Keisuke Honda will join AC Milan on a free transfer in January from CSKA Moscow, now that the Russian club have rejected a bid of 3m euros from the Italians.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are 'actively scouring' the transfer market looking for bargains, so if their reported interest is genuine they might be prepared to outbid Milan and bring the player in before the transfer deadline kicks in.

So far, Wenger has been reluctant to spend any of his war chest on additions to the squad, but Arsenal face a tough Champions League group and desperately need reinforcements.

Rob Shepherd of the Daily Mail reckons Arsenal could sign Wayne Rooney, if they actually got around to put a bid in. The overworked Wenger seems unlikely to do that.

Wenger's gone on record to say in the Daily Mail that he wouldn't like to work with a director of football, but many Arsenal fans remember the halcyon days of David Dein, when Arsenal were capable of competing in the transfer market. Of course, results are the most important thing: new additions can destabilise a squad. That's true. However, Wenger's implicit suggestion in the article above that money can't buy better players than Tomas Rosicky is difficult to agree with.

The other issue is balance in Arsenal's squad. At the moment, Arsenal's midfield mostly contains players that have similar qualities and weaknesses. Which Arsenal midfielder can offer a natural protection for the defence? Answer: new signing Flamini. It was such a 'no-brainer' that Arsenal took an age to take the plunge. That in itself is scary for Arsenal fans, as it suggests that a signing that requires thinking about will take much longer to complete.

Maybe that's a good thing in regards to Honda. As good as he is, would the Japan international be much different to what Arsenal already have in their squad? Not really, in my opinion, so as he is not 'a no-brainer' I'm not anticipating an Arsenal bid for him. Yet, Wenger has a penchant for buying this kind of player, and as he represents value-for-money you can never say never!

10 most disappointing departures from Arsenal

After considering the 10 most exciting arrivals at Arsenal, it seemed only logical to think of those that made untimely exits from the club.

Has this Arsenal transfer hibernation happened before? Check out the new book about Wenger's first season in charge! ARSENAL F.C. - A FOOTBALL TRANSFER DIARY 1996/1997 [Kindle Edition]

ARSENAL F.C. - A FOOTBALL TRANSFER DIARY 1996/1997 - Wenger's era begins [Paperback]

1. Cesc Fabregas - my favourite player of all time. No one could pick a pass like Cesc. I'd welcome him back at any time. A lot of websites have gone out on a limb to say he will return. Myles Palmer has staked his reputation on it! So if Cesc does come back this summer, we must visit ANR more often!

2. Manu Petit - I was gutted when he left, as I didn't think we got full value for him. Without Petit, defensively we were a lot weaker. I think he was under-rated.

3. Marc Overmars - Although we made a profit on his sale, I thought he was irreplaceable. Robert Pires and his fans may have felt otherwise, but I think we threatened more with Overmars's more direct approach.

4. Liam Brady - It was difficult to see a future without the Irish genius. I'm trying to think what we achieved immediately after he left. It's just one big blur!

5. Frank Stapleton - It seemed madness to sell him to Manchester United, but that's exactly what we did!

6. Ian Wright - He wasn't getting any younger, but I thought we sold him one year too early. When he was left out of the FA Cup final team, I knew he'd leave.

7. Nicolas Anelka - We made a huge profit on the French striker, but it was upsetting for us fans, nonetheless.

8. Matthieu Flamini - It was galling to lose gritty Gaul, who could play anywhere and run forever. We saw he best of Cesc with 'Flames' alongside him. Such a shame to lose him on a free.

9. Sylvain Wiltord - Another Frenchman who left for nothing. He had pace and skill. Why didn't we tie him down to a longer-term contract?

10. Robin van Persie - We lost the Dutch striker at his peak, but at least we got a huge fee for his services. Again, you have to question why Arsenal allowed him to get to the final year of his contract.

If you've got any better suggestions, please post them below.








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