Nothing confirmed, nothing denied

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It really is ghostly quiet out there this morning.

There was some vague confirmation yesterday that Arsenal have done a deal for FK Haugesund’s Havard Nordtveit, a 16-year-old Norwegian central defender who fits Wenger’s transfer criteria like a silk glove. Young, foreign, reasonably-priced and with a name that takes some spelling.

It’s a welcome sideshow to the other nonsense, though.

It’s going to be an interesting summer all round. There’s an ever-diminishing pool of talent and a seemingly ever-increasing amount of money, something that explains the ludicrous sums being bandied around for a player like Bent.

At those prices, I think it’s also fairly certain we won’t be seeing any new English faces in the club.

Another thought: Having overseen our French revolution, beginning in 1996 with Garde and Vieira and continuing with the likes of Petit, Le Sulk, Sylvanian Witless, Zinedine Cygan, super Gilles Grimandi and Robert Pires, are we now seeing the slow but sure ebb of the French dominance of Arsenal?

If Henry, Aliadiere and Flamini go this summer, we’ll be left with just three in the first-team squad: Clichy, Diaby and Gallas.

And Wenger of course, whose dominance must not be allowed to ebb away.

[I told you there was nothing to write about].

Jim

Arsenal since about 1979. Thick, thin and all that.