Secret agents, Hooty McOwl latest, Lazio defender linked and Cesc's chillin'

Sometimes the most difficult thing about writing a blog is starting the post. You can use a greeting, reference a hard-hitting story or simply go on about how difficult it is to start the post. And here we are.

Let's begin with a rather strange story in The Sun. Apparently Bolton knew our line-up the other day well before the team sheets were handed in. An 'Arsenal insider' takes up the story:

When Arsene asked how that was possible the Bolton coach replied Bendtner told them. Goodness knows the trouble Nicklas would have been in if he hadn’t scored the winning goal.

Goodness knows, indeed. What an odd story though? Is Nicklas Bendtner a secret double-agent? Who would he tell? Did they promise him as many pink boots as he could eat? And did it really make any difference that they knew the team?

'Oi, Megson, here's the Arsenal team for today'.

'Oh my, look at the team they have selected. I could never have envisioned anything like this. Forget Plan A, our free-flowing total-football philosophy will never work today. It's Plan B, everyone defend like mad!'

Funnily enough I had a dream last night that Bendtner went on loan to Plymouth and scored 4 goals in a game. Actually, it wasn't funny at all.

The latest regarding Andrei Arshavin is that he reckons Arsenal would suit him. The owly looking one says:

In some games last season, we played football which was very similar to that of Arsenal. I would prefer my present No 10 but in the team where I hope to move it's not vacant. So I'm ready for any number they are going to offer me.

There are whispers, unconfirmed and unsubstantiated, possibly baseless and without any truth whatsoever, that he's due for a medical on Wednesday but I'm not holding my breath. We shall see.

Cesc Fabregas is hugely missed by this Arsenal team but is making the most of the his time off. He says:

In the last five years I haven't been able to take any kind of holiday because even during the summer I have been playing for the national team. I've only ever had three consecutive weeks without football. That's not normal for a 21-year-old.

For Arsenal and Spain at all levels I think I've played 270 games - for a 21-year-old that's not normal so I guess at one stage this had to happen.

When you step back and look at that it is phenomenal. Of course the injury was just bad luck and we do miss him but perhaps long-term it's a good thing that he can take some time off and recharge his batteries. I'm told he's somewhere enjoying the sunshine at the moment and fair play to him. Hopefully the team can keep going and ensure that we've still got something to play for on his return.

Meanwhile the Obafemi Martins has been linked with Arsenal, yet again, by his own agent who has practically raised his backside and presented himself, like a cat in heat, to Arsene Wenger. I've lost count of how many times Martins has been talked about as a possible transfer target for us, he's like the Sebastian Frey of the modern era, or something. Anyway, there's about as much chance of us signing Martins as there is of us signing me.

Also in the Sun this morning is a story suggesting we've made a £5m bid for Lazio centre-half Mobido Diakite. Apparently the Italians want £10m though. It's hard to know how much truth there is in a rumour like this but he's 21, French, has suffered a serious injury in recent times and has played less than ten league games in his career, so we're probably going to sign him.

And there you go. Not much else happening really. The transfer window is quiet for everyone, there's very little money being spent at this stage. I believe the hold-up for the Arshavin deal is the fact that we're still counting out the money from our coppers jar, it could take till Friday week, I'm told.

Till tomorrow.