Today, of course, we live in a different world. Matches are streamed online, reported on Sky Sports News as if the results were critical, and every player is scrutinised before they have even had a chance to build up basic fitness (or in the cases of Arshavin and Vela, work off their expanded waistlines).

It is easy to slip into the trap of drawing conclusions at this stage. Defensive mistakes are to be expected when teammates have only just met, partnerships have not been formed, and even some language barriers are yet to be negotiated. To an extent, we understand that and forgive a certain lack of impermeability. But it goes further than that.

While many rightly shy away from excess criticism in these early days, we are less restrained when doling out platitudes, especially when indicating a certain player to be ready to step up in the coming season. What we forget is that most of our opposition are lower league or even part-time opposition, and looking impressive against them is a false barometer.

To put it another way, how many times have we seen a player shine in the Carling Cup, but would hesitate before suggesting they should be featuring in the first team? Most people’s description of Vela’s current position comes to mind, and I’d argue that the likes of Hoyte, Randall and Simpson are among others who will never break through the glass ceiling despite excelling at that level. Yet most of our pre-season opposition are not only weaker than those faced by our kids in those competitions, but they have little to play for themselves. Anyone can thrive when the pressure and intensity are dialled down.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that those that have impressed cannot make that step up, only that it would be false to demand their promotions based on these meaningless run-outs. I fear that if we lose a couple of early games, there will be many fans saying ‘Frimpong was excellent in pre-season, he should be playing’, and using it as a stick with which to beat the manager. We’ve seen it before with the constant calls for Wilshere to get playing time – this is the third consecutive pre-season in which he has appeared ready.

So I try not to draw too many conclusions, especially this early in proceedings. The Emirates Cup is a better indicator purely because the opposition are stronger, so I’ll begin to take a keener interest from Saturday (not least because I have a ticket). I’ve always thought our annual preparations are spot on – get the fitness up against the cannon fodder before testing your sharpness against quality.

Transfers

In other news, I have mixed feelings about Campbell not signing a new contract. On the one hand, his attitude in the dressing room would have set an example to others, but at the same time if he had agreed a year extension, Wenger might have been tempted not to sign another defender. Now he absolutely has to. Sol’s decision may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise.

As for Cesc, the latest story is that he is ‘torn’ between Arsenal and Barcelona. However, the quotes are attributed to an interview with DIR Emotions, a Spanish magazine that holds no mention of the conversation on their site. I suspect that his expressing an affection for both clubs has been deliberately twisted, and moreover that such an interview pre-dates this summer. I would be very surprised if Cesc’s next move was anything other than talking through official channels. In short, don’t panic.

That’s it for today. August, and real football, is around the corner.

No more. Their quest to retain the Champions League was brutally exposed by Mourinho’s Inter, Busquets committed one of the worst acts of simulation in the same game to tarnish their puritan status, and even Messi’s stock fell after a disappointing World Cup. Then, of course, they fluttered their eyelashes in Cesc’s direction.

Fast forward to today, and most neutrals want Cesc to stay in England, if only to prove to Barcelona that their ugly and relentless tapping up can be resisted. The way they have systematically gone about destabilising him at Arsenal has been reckless to the point where even the previously admiring media have turned on them.

One thing is for certain – if our captain does return to Spain this summer there will be widespread calls for a tapping up investigation. In theory, it should be an open and shut case – Barcelona have shown zero regard for Arsenal, the player or his contract, and have conducted their business in public despite calls from Arsenal to cease.

Unfortunately, while their approach seems scattergun, it is actually more calculated, and as such a tapping up enquiry may not result in the punishment they clearly deserve. The footballing authorities have only acted in a few instances (notably, those given high coverage in the press), and then only when club officials have been the worst offenders.

While the saga is certainly getting enough media coverage to force a cursory look from the authorities, the issue becomes cloudier when you analyse who is saying what. There is no doubt that Joan Laporta was guilty in the extreme, but he is no longer tied to Barcelona and as such his words are likely to be ignored. Rosell, since being elected president, has been more circumspect – most of his comments have been along the lines of ‘we want him, but have to talk to Arsenal’, which is no different from the ‘I admire him, but he is unavailable’ angle you hear from all managers, week in week out.

Instead, the blatant disrespect has come from the Spanish media (or at least, those under Barca’s control) and particularly the players themselves. But here is the key point – the players are not club officials. Technically, they could be found guilty of tapping up on an individual basis, but Barcelona are not liable for their words. And individual charges are exceptionally unlikely.

All of this makes it very difficult for FIFA to justify charging Barcelona as a club. Of course, common sense should allow them to see the bigger picture, witness how the media and the players have become the club’s mouthpiece and bring them to rights. But common sense doesn’t sit well with FIFA - they removed every referee’s option of applying it long ago and the goal-line technology farce proved how little they have of their own.

The good news is that Barcelona are finally being exposed – after years of forcing the availability of targets and driving their price down with underhand tactics, the wider world has seen them for what they are – a disrespecting playground bully whose off-field antics are the antithesis of their on-field aesthetic.

But negative exposure will change nothing – their tactic works. If it fails this summer, it will be the exception made possible only by Cesc’s refusal to behave in the antagonistic way they desire. With punishment so unlikely to come their way, they have no reason to give in.

Sadly, Eduardo never fully recovered from that fateful day at St Andrews, his leg shattered by an enforcer tackle from ‘not that kind of player’ Martin Taylor. That kind of injury and a year out of the game would test anyone, but while he appeared to recover physically, he was hindered by mental scars that removed the clinical finishing his game relied on. His instincts were still good, his first touch was immaculate, but in front of goal his assurance had gone.

And in one of the most physical leagues in the world, I haven’t seen him compete in a 50/50 challenge in the year and a half he’s been back. Can you blame him?

We will never know the heights Eduardo could have reached. Perhaps he would have been a star, perhaps a useful squad player who could turn games late on. One thing is for certain – the ‘they don’t like it up ‘em’ brigade have claimed a victim today, removing another talent from the English game. How many more will follow?

Much as Eduardo has always been a fan favourite, and although he was noticeably touched by the reception he received on his return, I wouldn’t blame him if he never looked back. His treatment during his three years in England has been appalling – that challenge, the Villa fans who taunted him with ‘you’ve only got one leg’, and of course the diving storm from last season’s Champions League qualifier which saw UEFA attempt to ban him for an offence replicated a hundred times the same week.

I don’t know any right-minded person who doesn’t wish him well. Perhaps a fresh start and regular football will help him re-establish his poise in front of goal, and I hope his recovery is completed over the next year or so.

Financially, it is no bad deal - £6m is a sizable fee for someone whose future is unknown, and is not far off the amount he cost in the first place.

Elsewhere, pre-season has started, and while the internet age allows us to watch these warm-up games in full rather than scouring newspapers for the result, drawing conclusions from them can be dangerous, particularly when focusing on the negative. For example, our defending in today’s 3-0 win against Sturm Graz was exceptionally wobbly at times, but nothing more can be expected when holidays have only just ended and fitness levels are low.

That said, it is a chance for younger players to stake their claim for first team action in the weeks ahead, and Jack Wilshere, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Jay Simpson have all caught the eye in the last week. Of the three, Wilshere is closest to featuring, especially with Joe Cole moving to Liverpool for the money the Champions League a fresh start. JET and Simpson still have much to prove.

Of the new signings, Chamakh looks powerful, Koscielny the complete opposite (that boy needs to bulk up, and fast), and of the old guard, Nasri shone tonight while Arshavin oozed class against Barnet but needs to raise his fitness levels. In goal, Almunia is ‘ill’, which is giving chances to everyone else, but it is difficult to take those chances when the opposition doesn’t threaten.

What these friendlies are showing us is the depth of attacking talent at our disposal – some very good players are not going to make it at Arsenal due to the levels of competition. It is the other end of the pitch that causes all the problems, and I suspect another signing will be made in defence before the season begins.

And that is it for tonight, except to wish Eduardo well with Shakhtar Donetsk. Good luck, fella.

When I saw it, I have to say I wasn’t surprised. The Barcelona contingent have acted with so little class recently that any stunt they pull washes over me to a certain extent. Their complete disregard for Arsenal is nothing new – they would have been in Cesc’s ear for a month anyway, so culminating that by putting the shirt over his head isn’t likely to change things.

In fact, the only thing that surprised me was that Pepe Reina got involved – I had previously considered him one of football’s good guys and above this sort of thing.

But despite their antagonistic behaviour, we should not take the bait. Barca’s continual tactic has been to break a relationship to drive the price down to a level they can afford, whether it is between the fans and the player, or the player and the club. They either want him to request a transfer, or us to force him out.

The latter should never happen – Cesc has continually respected Arsenal on and off the pitch. He isn’t hankering after a move a la Adebayor, or letting his effort levels slip. And ignore certain quarters of the press who claim he was happy to be wearing the shirt – watch the video. He cannot get it off quickly enough.

It is worth bearing in mind that Barcelona is the club of his youth. This isn’t like one of us having a Chelsea shirt shoved over our head by John Terry – the analogy is actually if you moved to Italy, played for Milan, loved it there but Arsenal were playing these games. It is unlikely you would react with the fury that some wished he had, and it is to his credit that he speedily removed a strip he wore countless times as a boy.

I can see only one way that Cesc will leave this summer, and that is if he hands in a transfer request. Even if he does, it is by no means certain he will leave – Barcelona have backed us into a corner with their pantomime playground bully act that to sell now would leave us looking exceptionally weak.

As I see it, this prank has achieved only two things. One, more neutrals are hoping we hang on to Cesc to stick two fingers up at the most blatant tapping up you’ll ever see and two, our resolve has strengthened to the point where discussions with Barcelona are likely to be short and curt. Two words will probably do the trick.

Let them play their ridiculous games. The more they disrespect us, the more we should take the higher ground.

The first part of that particular plan was to occupy myself watching a thrilling World Cup, but unfortunately it has been a tepid affair, devoid of star talent, stunning goals (barring tonight’s semi) and miraculous against-all-odds comebacks. Defences have won out, and even the eyebrow-raising results (Germany walloping Argentina, for example) can be easily explained by analysing the men at the back of the beaten team. As for England, it was woeful on and off the field.

There is still time, of course – Germany and Spain clash tomorrow night in what promises to be a cracker, but already my mind is switching back into domestic football mode, to the tweaks that would make Arsenal challenge next season, and yes, to the Cesc story that refuses to go away. And whisper it quietly, but the season is fast approaching – the players returned to training today and the first friendly is only eleven days away.

So where are we? In central defence, we’re officially four down – Gallas, Campbell, Silvestre and Senderos – although the latter hasn’t really been an Arsenal player in years. With Koscielny training with the youth teamalready, it is clear that the French defender is the first replacement – the official announcement is likely once Wenger returns to the country. That leaves us with Vermaelen, Djourou, Koscielny and kids. With Djourou penned to be a first team contender last season, and Koscielny costing so much (a reported £9m), you would expect both to feature heavily, so another signing in this area is only likely as a backup option. I have a feeling that’ll be it for the back four.

Up front, we’re stacked with options – Van Persie, Bendtner and Chamakh can all lead the line (although the latter may be relied on initially thanks to continued Dutch involvement in the World Cup and Bendtner’s groin injury), while Arshavin, Eduardo, Vela, Walcott, Rosicky and Nasri are all options in a withdrawn or wide role. We are top heavy in attacking midfielder and strikers, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or two leave before September – the prime candidate is clearly, and unfortunately, Eduardo. Time will tell.

Last, but not least, we come to Cesc. The facts we know – Cesc has mooted the possibility of moving to Barcelona (how strongly, we do not know), and Barca have very publicly courted him, in an exceptionally annoying way. And had a bid strongly rejected.

We have all speculated on how Cesc feels about the very public comments made by everyone connected to Barcelona – the president, the players, the tea lady – but realistically, if he was frustrated by it being played out in public (as an Arsenal player, with Arsenal ethics, he might) he wouldn’t say so until after the World Cup. Right now his priority is Spain, and if he is irritated by his teammates talking about his future he will resist saying so until Spain are on the way home.

I will be very interested in Cesc’s first few days back in England. They will be telling.

New Barcelona president, Sandro Roselli, meanwhile, is continuing to talk nonsense:

“The signing of Cesc has become difficult, because the expectation levels have been driven up the seller. We will never pay 50 or 60 million (euros) for Cesc.”

“It’s a topic that has become so public and that’s the worst thing you can do with a transfer, because it makes the selling club raise their expectations and you end up paying over the odds.”

The laughable thing is that he talks as if it is not Barcelona’s fault the transfer has become public, despite their own players mouthing off on a daily basis. It is remarkable arrogance to suggest that just because they want Cesc, they can get him without paying the asking price.

Make no mistake, the standoff will continue – Barcelona are banking on Cesc getting frustrated and handing in a transfer request. If he is to do that, he’d do it soon after coming home. I doubt it’ll happen.

So, that’s it for the first Arsenal post I’ve done in a couple of weeks. In retrospect, not a lot has changed, has it?

It was dramatic, it was exciting and frankly, it was deserved – Mexico were excellent, France poor. Given how much we love to see the big nations brought down a peg, it should have been highly enjoyable.

But it wasn’t, thanks to the commentators and the reactive media (particularly a few sanctimonious ones on Twitter) taking the opportunity to mention that handball in that playoff match every minute of the game, as if France’s loss was more of a victory for Ireland than it was for Mexico.

I don’t pretend to know the entire Irish population. But while those I do were pretty irritated by Henry’s handball at the time, they soon got over it. They certainly put it behind them quicker than the English media, led by a few individuals calling for Henry to be banned for the tournament, France to be thrown out, and other ludicrous and overblown suggestions.

Tonight was a huge win for Mexico. A draw would have left them needing to beat a flying Uruguay, but instead they proved the talent they have in the squad and are on the brink of qualification for the knockout stages. They should have been the stars, yet inexplicably, too many chose to focus on the ‘karma’ of the situation and how delighted Ireland would be, despite a) as far as I can see, the Irish don’t care anymore and b) Henry didn’t even feature in the game.

Don’t get me wrong, I felt for Ireland at the time, and if some still harbour ill feeling towards Henry, and France in general, then maybe they will have enjoyed tonight a little more than most. But the impression I get is that the majority hold no such grudge, so this continued campaign of vitriol is not representative of their feelings in any way.

The more the written press continue this faux holier than thou attitude on behalf of a nation that do not desire or require their ’support’, the more they irritate me. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

For the record, I have a sneaky suspicion France will still go through. Mexico will fancy their chances of beating Uruguay to top the group, therefore avoiding Argentina in the second round, and that would open the door to France, provided they can hammer a demoralised South Africa. Don’t write them off just yet.

As for the Arsenal representatives, no-one covered themselves in glory. The entire French team was unimpressive, while at the other end Vela missed a great chance before going off with a hamstring injury. In earlier matches, Cesc inexplicably remained on the bench while his teammates lost to Switzerland, and Eboue was part of an Ivory Coast defence untroubled by Portugal.

On the plus side, the entertainment level of the tournament has picked up after a slow and cagey start – Argentina demolished South Korea today, and teams are certainly playing with a freedom missing in the early days.

Betting Update

After a bad day yesterday – three out of three bets failed to come in – Argentina’s big win over South Korea and Greece’s victory over Nigeria boosted the profits once more. Part of me wishes I was staking more than a pound on each bet…

I will continue to place a bet on each match in the tournament, adding some random ones here and there, so keep checking the tracker to the right to see how it is going.

Other Arsenal news

The fixture list is out for the 2010/11 season and we start with a belter – a trip to Anfield to face a Liverpool side hoping to feel the effect of a new manager. Our next crunch game is also away - Chelsea on October 2.

November, often a bad month, will again be tricky – Everton (away), Villa (away) and Spurs (home) provide plenty of challenges, especially surrounded by Champions League fixtures. We complete the trio of away games against the Big Four before Christmas.

If we are in contention at Christmas, having played Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Everton, City and Villa away, we are in with a real shout.

But that is for another time – I have to be honest and say that I struggle to get excited about the season when it is so far away. When the players start training again, and we play our first pre-season match, everything will change.

Before then, we have the rest of the World Cup. And I love it, at least when the TV is muted.

At the other end, Bendtner was decent for Denmark, one glorious turn in midfield bamboozling two opponents, but he shanked his only real chance wide. Despite impressing, Adrian Chiles mocked him relentlessly at half time, presumably based on some preconceived bias – his showing certainly didn’t warrant that level of criticism.

Bendtner (and Denmark) were made to feel better by the game that followed between the two other teams in the group, Japan and Cameroon. The Africans looked lethargic throughout, stuck Eto’o on the right and left Alex Song on the bench, a pair of bizarre decisions that Le Guen stuck by all game. Japan were well organised, played for a draw and got a bonus when they pinched a goal. On that display, Denmark have every chance to come back and qualify.

It hasn’t been the best World Cup for Arsenal players yet, but then it hasn’t been a great World Cup for anyone up to now. Too many teams are living by the mantra that an early loss is a disaster, and the resultant negativity is producing a dearth of goals. Only Germany have sparkled, but even they were up against a hapless Australian side and aided by a referee who showed a red card to Cahill for absolutely nothing.

Tomorrow holds more promise – ignoring the early New Zealand-Slovakia game (placed at lunchtime for a reason), there is further Arsenal interest as the Ivory Coast kick off their campaign with a tasty looking game against Portugal in the afternoon. And then we get our first glimpse of Brazil in the evening, before Cesc’s long wait for a runout ends against Switzerland on Wednesday.

The World Cup can only get better, and it will.

Betting Update

After the double success of the opening day, Argentina’s narrow win and England’s draw with the USA provided a pair of winners, making day two another success despite Greece’s failure to live up to my expectations.

Day three was the first hiccup – Algeria, Serbia and Australia all comprehensively failing to achieve the results I tipped, but after correctly predicting Holland’s two goal victory, combined with Japan’s defeat of Cameroon, form was today restored. Had Italy snuck a late winner, it would have been a ridiculously successful day.

All in all, it is going well so far, with eleven £1 bets returning a healthy £24 – £13 profit. I will continue to make a tip for every match shortly before kickoff on Twitter, so you can either keep a track there or watch the panel to the right. If you fancy joining in, feel free to add your own tips to the comments, or on Twitter using the hashtag #groanswcbets – I’ll take on any good ones.

And that is that. See you tomorrow to watch Eboue make Ronaldo cry. Again.

It was also a day featuring many of Arsenal’s representatives. Carlos Vela nearly scored the tournament’s first goal, only to be (correctly) denied by an attentive assistant referee, but he otherwise disappointed in a Mexico side that could find themselves struggling to qualify after failing to punish South Africa’s tentative first half.

The French trio of Sagna, Gallas and Diaby will be disappointed with their opening result, especially as Uruguay went down to ten men late in the game, but on an individual level they should be happier. Gallas was solid at the back, Sagna was more of a wing back threat than Evra (and will be grateful not to have been injured by Lodeiro’s X-rated challenge), but the real star was Abou Diaby, who was a constant threat in an advanced midfield role, and was the sole player who appeared capable of terrorising Uruguay’s somewhat suspect defence.

Diaby has always been a divisive player, but his performance tonight was reminiscent of the run of form he enjoyed early in 2010, before he tailed off again towards the end of the season. Running with the ball, he is a mesmerising sight, and could enjoy a prosperous World Cup if those surrounding him showed more intent. France looked rudderless and impotent up front, and provide so little goal threat that their stay in the competition may be shortlived.

The next time we see an Arsenal player in action will be Monday, when Van Persie, Bendtner and Song kick off their campaigns, but there are plenty of matches to get your teeth into over the weekend, so enjoy. They can’t be any worse than tonight’s snoozefest.

Betting update

A great start for the betting tips, tracked to your right - having tipped 1-1 for the opening match, I predicted a card-fest in the second game, and both bets came off. I’m not getting too smug though – it may all go horribly wrong tomorrow.

As ever, you can follow the bets as they are placed on Twitter, or just keep an eye on the tracker to the right. No doubt some red lines will be appearing soon.

And that is it for today. I will be missing much of Saturday’s football due to a wedding, but they have kindly incorporated the England game into proceedings. Good thing too – we were planning on watching it either way. See you on the other side.

Cesc Fabregas

blah blah…Xavi …blah blah… Barca DNA …blah blah… not for sale …blah blah… certain to sign …blah blah… tappy tappy …blah blah… desperate president making final plea …blah blah… sound of a door being slammed shut.

Nothing new here – Barcelona are still confident of signing our captain, we say he isn’t for sale, they claim we’re still in negotiations while blatantly tapping him up in public. This will not go away, but equally nothing will happen while the World Cup is on.

Joe Cole

Chelsea have finally confirmed that Cole will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the month. The player is rightly refusing to comment. The press are convinced we’re signing him, or that he’s off to Spurs, but every source I have is convinced he will join United, and I have no reason to doubt them.

Laurent Koscielny

One of those players who will be copy-pasted into every article I ever write about him has apparently been subject to an £8m bid from us. The Lorient defender is highly rated, but none of the stories surrounding him come with quotes from us, him, or his current club, which either means the rumour is garbage, or that we’ve finally found another club that likes to do business as quietly as we do. At least it beats seeing Hangeland tipped to join us every day.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see this one come off – he’s 24, which is about the right age for a centre back needing to step straight into the first team squad, we hadn’t heard of him before this summer, and we are in dire need of centre halves. There may be too much smoke for this one to be completely false.

Phillippe Senderos

At last, something concrete - Senderos’ long and sometimes painful career at Arsenal has come to an end, as the 25 year old has joined Fulham on a free transfer. I know I’m not alone in feeling a bit sad about this – Senderos was such a bright prospect in his early years, but some high profile mistakes and Wenger’s sometimes rough treatment of him (axing him for Gallas, ruthlessly ousting him for mistakes) made his departure inevitable.

I can’t help but feel Fulham have gotten a fantastic bargain here – Senderos was always at his best when playing regularly, and he’ll get that under the watchful eye of Roy Hodgson, a master at lifting the spirits of any player under his tutelage. Just 25, the Swiss’ best years are ahead of him, and it is a shame he will be spending them elsewhere. Much as I hope we don’t look back at what might have been, I genuinely wish him all the best - he deserves a bright few years, and it is hard to resentsuch a likeable club benefitting from the re-ignition of his career.

And that is about it. Look out for some World Cup features over the coming days – I make no apologies for loving the showpiece tournament as much as I passionately dislike international friendlies during the season. And besides, if I relied on Arsenal news over the next month, you might get a post once a week at best.

Stay tuned.

That we hold the cards in this affair is undeniable, but equally important to note is how desperate Laporta is to land his man before stepping down as Barcelona president. If he fails, it will be a major blight on his reign, at least in his own mind. Theoretically, his obsession is good news for us, because such a man is easy to extract an overblown price from, but with their financial situation far from healthy, his willingness to spend lavish sums is restricted by reality.

With the realisation that the money on the table will not be enough, coupled with the knowledge that they cannot afford to raise the stakes much higher, Laporta is becoming desperate, as shown by his latest comments:

“It’s a price that we consider to be his market value. Arsenal have rejected it. We have to do everything we can to convince them that the best thing for all is to reach an agreement”

“The club have full confidence that Arsenal will end up understanding the situation”

We have full confidence that Arsenal we end up understanding the situation? Thanks Joan, but we actually understand the situation quite well. You want a player who is tied into a long term contract, and isn’t the sort of player to put in a formal transfer request or agitate for a move. Therefore, you must pay us what we believe to be market value. What you consider to be a fair price is completely and utterly irrelevant.

The thing that gets me is this – up to this point all of Barca’s actions have had a carefully constructed ulterior motive. The words of the players and the staff have been aimed at doing two things: a) driving a wedge between Cesc and Arsenal and b) driving a wedge between the fans and Cesc.

Neither tactic is working. Cesc has handed control to the club, and by doing so has confirmed himself as the man of class we all believed him to be. He is still our captain, and we still want him to stay. Furthermore, if Barcelona fail to come up with the money being demanded, that is exactly what will happen. Everyone knows it.

So what exactly is the point of these comments? Does Laporta expect us to turn around and say “Oh, I see, we didn’t realise you wanted him so badly. Since you can’t afford the price we’re asking for, we’ll just sell him on the cheap. After all, he’s got that Barcelona DNA. And we’re just lovely giving people. After the respect you’ve given us, it’s the least we can do.”

Er, no. The club’s resolve will not weaken, and the likelihood of Cesc getting restless won’t grow – after all, they are valuing him lower than the 28 year old striker they bought two weeks ago. Doesn’t that just make you feel so…wanted?

To me, these are the words of a man who has decided to end his presidency with a grand gesture, but is rapidly discovering that the deal is not the surefire winner he believed it to be, as the other parties in the affair aren’t playing along. That Cesc will join Barcelona one day is irrelevant to him – he wants him to return under his watch, which ends on June 30. Don’t believe that his claim that the Cesc deal should be completed pre-World Cup is for the benefit of the player – it is purely because once the World Cup ends, someone else will be in power, and take the credit.

We have absolutely no reason to budge. If I were in the Arsenal boardroom, these quotes would be making me smile. As Laporta gets more desperate, it becomes ever more likely that Cesc will stay.