And yes I know that the conventional phrase is that the window “slams shut” but this year I thought we ought to change things not least because Sky is telling us that, “The window will close on Friday, August 30 at 11pm UK time in England and Scotland.”   So no slamming, but also no transfers for clubs in Wales either or Northern Ireland, which seems a bit discriminatory.   Unless of course Wales is now on Western variant time.  And yes 30th is indeed today.

But still, according to the Guardian, Arsenal’s transfer balance this morning stood at minus £55.7m which is probably within the limits laid down by the authorities.  However there is talk that “Arsenal consider Raheem Sterling move after being offered Chelsea outcast”, and that’s not all for having signed two young keepers we also are told that “Arsenal set to sign Bournemouth keeper Neto on loan”.  And one wonders just how many goalkeepers do Arsenal want…

But we are also being told that Ramsdale is going to Southampton.  Whether that is to sign for the club or to take a ferry to the Isle of Wight I really don’t know.

And it also means there is still no news on Eddie although the suggestion is that he is having a medical at Crystal Palace, so at least there’s not that much travelling to be done by either the player or the officials doing the deal.

So what else is rumoured for the final hours?  Well, “Arsenal are considering a move for Raheem Sterling after being offered the Chelsea winger.”  That comes from the Guardian, who really ought to know better, but who insist that Mikel Arteta “wants more depth in attack and there is a chance that Sterling, who has been told that he has no future at Stamford Bridge, will join one of Chelsea’s closest rivals.”

So yes that old story about needing a new striker is still there despite having Havertz.  And really are Arsenal buying a 29 year old who earns getting on for a third of a million pounds a week???  Which to put it into more conventional terms if £16.9m a year!!!

That is over £50m if he is given a three year contract on his present salary.  I think if I was earning that much and not playing I’d stick with it and spend my remaining three years writing a few novels.  But then I don’t earn that and I can’t play football at all well, especially at my age.

Anyway, the paper then relents and says, “There is as strong a chance Sterling will stay at Chelsea given his contractual situation, although Enzo Maresca has warned him that he would not play a minute.”   Like I say, I’d stay there and let Chelsea work out how on earth they are going to balance their finances under the new regulations.

But this is Arsenal and this is football and so it must mean that Arsenal are going to sign a goalkeeper, because that is what happens every day.  So this time the plan is Raya is first choice, Neto becomes second choice and everyone else goes and plays in the park.