By Sir Hardly Anyone

‘Look at the players Arsenal are talking to’ – Finance guru impressed by club’s transfer plans.  That comes from Football Insider, but it is also worth remembering that across the last few years, as we have been measuring transfer rumours and actual transfers each summer, only around 3% of the players noted as moving to Arsenal actually go there.  As for the rest – well maybe they go somewhere else, or maybe nowhere at all.  Maybe the clubs know what’s what all along, and it is just the bloggers who get confused…

But how come we normally end up with 100 plus transfers each summer, but so few players going to Arsenal?

There are several possible reasons

1.  The stories are made up by the websites to make it look like they are “in the know”
2.  The stories are made up by the clubs to make it look like their players are valuable and keep fans, chairman, local radio station etc happy
3. The buying clubs realy are interested in taking the player but not at the price demanded so they publicise a lower offer knowing they will eventually up the price
4. Talk of a rival club getting the player wakens their rivals and the chaiman tells his transfer director to “wake up” and see what the others are already doing
5. Manager knows that unless the league position improves this season he will lose his job – and after all he doesn’t have to pay for the transfer
6. Player and agent begs buying club to put in a bid for a player as the player seriously wants out
7. The news is free.

And so with that thourght in mind here are the players Arsenal are said to be buying.  We’ve found two dozen of them so far…

	Player	Position	From	Source	Amount
Update	Julian Alvarez	Centre forward	Atletico Madrid	Football Fan Cast; Sky, Sport Witness,  Caught Offside says Gyokeres in part ex.  Man I now interested	£150m+  AFC preferred bidder
2	Andria Bartishvili	Attacking midfield	Kolkheti Poti	Gooner News	Not known
3	Bradley Barcola	Winger	PSG	Sky Sports, Caught Offside, Football London, Arsenal news, Sports View, Give me Sport.  Deal approved, but he wants PSG (Goonernews)  £69m quoted	£45m+
4	Andria Bartishvili	Attacking midfield	Iberia 1999	Daily Canon, FFC “in talks”	Not quoted
5	Phoenix Blayney.	Goal keeper	Larne	Standard	Free?
6	Ayyoub Bouaddi	18 yr old midfield	LOSC Little	Hard Tackle: he wants to go to PSG,  Sports Keeda says Vieira really likes him.	£60m+
7	Alvaro Carreras	Left Back	Real Madrid	Hard Tackle, FFC	Only just signed
8	Ivan Fresneda	Defender	Real Valladolid,	Just Arsenal, Arsenal Station	No price specified
9	Antony Gordon	Winger	Newcastle	Currently on a long term contact	Arsenal monitoring
10	Morgan Greenwood	Forward	Marseille	Totts want him.	Footballpresse
NEW	Bruno Guimarães	Forward or central midfield	Atletico Madrid	Man U., Barcelona and Real Madrid all want him.  Five years after first bid!	Just Arsenal, Give me Sport
NEW	Piero Hincapie	Centre or full back	Bayer Leverkusen	Been on loan, now permanent	Deal made permanent
13	Manu Kone	Midfield	Roma	Sun  – Agreed deal	£43.2m
NEW	Eli Junior Kroupi,	Forward	Bournemouth	Football.London – deal about to happen.	?£15m
15	Khvicha Kvaratskhelia	Winger	PSG	Sky Sports – PSG don’t want to sell	£100m
16	Maxence Lacroix	Defender	Crystal Palace	Just Arsenal News
17	Jeremy Monga	Leicester	Leicester	FFC – talks ongoing	Arsenal determined
Update	Morgan Rogers	Attacking mddfield	Aston Villa	Mirror; Sky, FFC.  FoLo Villa lowered price (Standard).  Rice telling him to sign.  Rice trying to persuade him.  Huge offer (Shoot)	£100m, but price now discounted
NEW	Alex Scott	Midfield	Bournemouth	Better than Guimaras	£65m
20	Igor Thiago	Striker	Brentford	Football Pressed, EPL Index, club considering…	A priority
21	Sandro Tonai	Midfield	Newcastle	FFC.  ICFootball, £100m bid.  Or £80m.	Totts interested
22	Nicolo Tresoldi	Striker	Club Brugge	Arsenal News	He’s honoured
Update	Christos Tzolis	Winger	Club Brugge	Football 365; Hard Tackle	AFC ahead of Palace.
24	Kenan Yildez	Forward	Juventus	Gooner News	Club don’t want to sell