It’s fair to say I’d love to be a fly on the wall in the Ashley Cole transfer negotiations. Clearly, Arsenal are looking to get the most out of the whole sordid affair, and it looks increasingly possible that we’re looking to get a player in return (plus cash, naturally). Apparently – though I did not hear this myself – Radio 5 Live reported over the weekend that the deal might involve £21m benchwarmer Wright-Phillips, which, if you think about it, might work if a) Reyes leaves and b) given our new pitch is about 600 yards wider than the old one and ideal for wing play.

This morning, it seems the deal is more likely to involve “tired” Bill Gallas, who didn’t show up at the Russian training camp in LA. The Grauniad even suggests Arsenal might have “tried to destabilise” the player, though quite how they did this was not made clear.

It’s getting fun though.

But as I said before, it’s still a great shame that it had to come to this. There aren’t many players who have so spectacularly mismanaged their exits from a club. A bit of clever PR and he could have made it that bit smoother for himself. Instead, Cole – who always struck me as likeable, and is undoubtedly a fantastic footballer – has found himself in the situation whereby his return with his new club will be horrendous for him.

I wonder if, some years from now, he’ll ever sit down and regret the whole sticky mess.