Real Madrid's new player French Karim Benzema waves during h... AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid's new player French Karim Benzema waves during his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on July 9, 2009. Benzema, who has been compared to former French international and Real star Zinedine Zidane, was the first new player who Real president Florentino Perez signed after he returned to the helm of the club in June. AFP PHOTO/PHILIPPE DESMAZES (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

Real Madrid's new football player French Karim Benzema flash... AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid's new football player French Karim Benzema flashes a thumb up to supporters during his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on July 9, 2009. Benzema, who has been compared to former French international and Real star Zinedine Zidane, was the first new player who Real president Florentino Perez signed after he returned to the helm of the club in June. AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images)

Real Madrid's new player French Karim Benzema signs a ball i... AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid's new player French Karim Benzema signs a ball in front Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (C) and Real Madrid President of Honour Alfredo Di Stefano (R) during his official presentation at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on July 9, 2009. Benzema, who has been compared to former French international and Real star Zinedine Zidane, was the first new player who Real president Florentino Perez signed after he returned to the helm of the club in June. AFP PHOTO/PHILIPPE DESMAZES (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/Getty Images)

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Fiorentina eye Eboue & Melo swap

RVP signs - Board reject Usmanov offer

Good morning, be gentle with me, I am *boilking* somewhat. They say never mix wine and beer, right? Who knew they meant over the course of a night and not just in the same glass?

Anyway, plenty going on this morning. The main news from yesterday was the fact that Robin van Persie has signed a new long-term contract with the club. He said:

My heart is with Arsenal and I just can’t picture myself in a different shirt. I just can’t see it now because I love this Club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the Boss and the whole Club gave me, the fans gave me, my team mates gave me – this is the right decision.

While Arsene Wenger said:

We have already seen many times what Robin is capable of on a football pitch, but at only 25, there is still much more to come from him. Robin has the potential to become a true Arsenal great.

I have to say I'm happy. He's had his injury problems, and then some, but he's a very talented footballer with his best years ahead of him. I think he'd be the first to accept that he can improve and make more of an impact with the ability he has - so hopefully we'll get to see him do that over the next few seasons.

He joins the list of players who, in the last few months, have committed themselves to the club. It's reassuring that moves are being made to extend players contracts while there's still time and we don't end up like Flamini and Edu scenarios where we lose good players for free.

The other news was the fact that the club have rejected the proposed rights issue from Alisher Usmanov. In an interview with the official site Ivan Gazidis said:

With regard to players, the Board decided not to issue permanent capital in the hopes of signing one or two players in an inflated transfer market. Instead, the focus continues to be on securing the services of talented young players we have on long-term contracts and making very selective acquisitions, only where a new signing will add real value to our already strong squad.

I think this is absolutely the right decision. The rights offer from Usmanov was a transparent attempt to curry favour with fans as well as giving him a chance to dilute the shareholdings in the club and, perhaps, increase his own. 

Fat and Orange aren't happy though and disagree with the board's decision, saying:

Based on financial information that only they have, the board have informed us that they are confident they have adequate financial resources to support the manager to strengthen the squad, to weather the property downturn, to renegotiate the Highbury Square loan on good terms and to deal with the continuing difficult economic conditions.

We do not share their view but are prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

I can't be the only one who isn't impressed by the vaguely threatening nature of their statement. You have to think that sooner or later things are going to have to come to a head between the major shareholders at the club. 

Usmanov obviously does not think the same way as they do, he wants to be a sugar daddy, the board are, sensibly, maintaining the business model they think will more greatly benefit the club. Maybe things are tight this season and next and so on but Arsenal Football Club has a future beyond the short-term and that's something that has to considered. 

Of course the headlines this morning are about the £60m financial hit we've taken but I think we have to look at the bigger picture. It's hardly as if Arsene was planning on spending it and now it's been cruelly taken away from him.

While the club have announced further pre-season fixtures there's still confusion over the transfer of Felipe Melo to Juventus. No deal has been done yet because of a breakdown between Fiorentina and Marcho Marchionni, the player included in the swap deal. Whether this means any chance we have of signing him can be resurrected remains to be seen.

The Mirror links us again with Blaise Matuidi suggesting we may also look at Gokhan Inler again but Inler's agent doesn't seem to think we're interested anymore.

Newcastle defender Sebastian Bassong vaguely says there was an approach for his services from Arsenal but at the moment I can't see any more defenders coming to the club. As it stands we have six centre-halves on our books - Gallas, Toure, Senderos, Djourou, Sylvester and new boy Vermaelen. That's too many as it is so even if one or two leave, depending on which players of course, we may not even need a signing there.

As the squad stands I really think we only need one more signing - and that's the central midfielder we're all crying out for. If, for example, Adebayor is sold it looks as if the Chamakattak chappy is going to come in (whether he's even necessary is debatable), but to feel really solid going into the new season that central midfielder needs to arrive, in my opinion.

Still, there's plenty of time to make it happen. I see the Cesc stuff I mentioned yesterday is in the papers today, with some added goodness from Lionel Messi who says Cesc would be 'welcome' at Barcelona. Pfff, how very dreary.

Right, I think I need more coffee and an injection of adrenaline. Or morphine. Or both. Mmmmm, morphdrenaline.

Till tomorrow.

No go Melo - Arshavin's agent is a tick + news round-up

Morning, and we'll start with CEO Ivan Gazidis who says Arsenal must ... oh, wait. No need.

Let's move instead to Felipe Melo who, it seems, has signed for Juventus. This comes after yet more waffle from Fiorentina who spoke again of our interest and the deal seemingly on offer. Pantalones Calzone, the Fiorentina Sporting and Folded Over Pizza director, said:

Wenger wants to talk to me. I have no objection also because Eboue seems a valid swap.

Which all seemed very promising, particularly as he said no meetings with Juventus were planned at all. But obviously the stripy bastards got on the phone, did a deal and now it looks as if Melo will be announced officially there today. 

Oh well. I mean, if he wants to ignore Gilberto Silva and sign for a tiny club with no history who play in front of a half dozen people each weekend then there's not much we can do about that, is there? I suppose we'll wait for the official announcement from them but it looks like the game is up.

There were a lot of rumours yesterday about St Etienne's Blaise Matuidi being in town and discussing a move to us but rumours is all they are at this stage.

And in this crazy, topsy-turvy summer there was more confusion regarding Andrei Arshavin's relationship with agent Dennis Lachter. Arshavin apparently fired Lachter the other week but the agent has other ideas, saying:

We have a contract; this contract will be finished in one and a half years. Until then, I am the manager of Andrey Arshavin.

He sent me a letter, absolutely. Listen, it’s like entering a contract with Arsenal or anybody else; there are obligations. If you think that you can just cancel this formal relationship between two parties only because of a newborn baby it’s…what can you say…well you can’t do it. That’s it. I’m his agent.

He went on to say:

Arshavin for sale! Arshavin for sale! Get your Arshavin! Only £20m! Barcelona? That you? Fancy an Arshavin? Go on, you know you want to.

Strikes me agents are like ticks. I remember years ago, as young chap, playing gleefully in bails on hay one summer. You know the big huge ones rolled into massive wheels. Climb up. Jump off. Climb up. Jump off. Climb up. Jump off. Life was much more simple back then.

Of course the farmer was none too happy when his perfectly crafted wheel looked more like ... erm ... a load of hay scattered all over his field, but the point is when I got home, happy as anything after a good day's playing, I discovered ticks. Eating me. Bleurgh. And when you have ticks you have to get the whole lot of it out, if you just burst the bit full of blood and leave the head in it will keep chomping away at you. Especially the one positioned rather too close to one's vagi  .. I mean Johnson. 

Lachter is the tick still scoffing away at Arshavin. A letter merely removes the bloody sac but the head is still there. He needs a burning match to scorch the arse out of it. Metaphorically speaking of course. Erm, that all went a bit weird, but I'm sure you know what I mean. 

Anyway, Andrei was back in training yesterday, running about the place, stretching out with giant rubbers and playing with large balls. Seriously. You can check out the pictures of pre-season training on Arsenal.com

Notable appearances include Philippe Senderos, back from his loan spell at Milan, as well as Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo who we all hope can stay fit and make a real impact in the season ahead. It also looks as if some of the players, Adebayor, van Persie, Clichy, Sagna, Toure, Eboue and others have been given extended holidays, probably because of their involvement in end of season internationals.

Also, new boy Thomas Vermaelen looks tough, doesn't he? He definitely has the cold dead eyes of an assassin. I like it. 

Expect some more Cesc related crap to hit the wires later as El Mundo are running a big story this morning about how Barcelona's are going to sign either him or Ribery. They talk about how certain sources close to Arsenal say we'd be willing to let him go for €46m but Barcelona only want to pay €40m. Well, in that case they can go take a jump. Anyway, forewarned is forearmed and all that.

Beyond that not much happening so we'll leave it there for today. Till tomorrow.