The thing to remember about Arsenal transfer rumours is that crucial third word, rumours. Even the most confident sounding media report, and there are plenty about the Gunners signing Petr Cech from Chelsea at the minute, means very little until the deal is confirmed on the Arsenal website.
But I still assume that some of these rumours are based on truth, especially when they come from the more reliable sources rather than Metro, Caught offside or the Daily Star, who seem to be employing a team of dreamers to make up anything they can.
So I am taking the Sky Sports report about the Borussia Dortmund and Germany defender Benedikt Howedes at face value. The fact that the player himself has revealed that he turned down the chance to join the Gunners this summer helps to give the story credence of course, although it does not help Arsenal in our hopes of strengthening the back line. Or does it?
If Howedes really did reject our advances then it does mean that Wenger wanted him and that means that Arsenal are looking to sign another centre back to compete with Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gabriel and possibly Chambers. That sounds good to me and I doubt that one setback will change the bosses mind. Howedes would have been nice but there are plenty more fish in the sea. Which one will we catch?