Transfer - Kyle Bartley (£750 000)

Arsenal have signed another defender. Kyle Bartley has moved from Bolton Wanderers and joined up with the Arsenal U-18s under the watchful eye of Head of Youth Development Liam Brady.

‘We watched him play and moved quickly to get him when he decided he didn't want to sign for Bolton,” said Liam Brady. “He's big and strong, six foot three or thereabouts already and we're looking forward to having him here. I think he will give our Under-18s team something it lacked last season.”

The FA.com describes the 16 year old a physically dominant central defender with great strength, Kyle is an imposing presence at the heart of the defence. His strength and defensive reactions are assured, and he is confident when attacking the ball in the air.

The fee to Bolton is thought to be £750 000 with clauses dependant upon first team appearances on England caps.

Transfer Rumours - David Villa

Spanish International David Villa is being heavily linked in Spain with a move to Emirates. The striker has netted an outstanding 16 goals from 23 caps.

Sources close to Valencia have indicated that Arsene Wenger has been in contact with the club chairman, Juan Bautista Soler, regarding the availability of David Villa. Although manager, Quique Flores, is keen to retain the striker, it is understood than an offer of £22m will see the 25 year-old stroker moving to London.

Former Arsenal midfielder and all around good egg Edu, recently waxed poetic about his current teammate.

He is very good. I've been with him for two seasons now. I follow him and train with him and I can see he has something different.

I think he could play in England because he is an experienced guy. He has played for the international team for a long time. He has shown everybody in the important games how good he is so I don't think he would have any problem to play in the Premiership.

He is quicker than most, he can use both feet and he is intelligent. He is as good as all the comments people have made about him.

Transfer Possibility Rating - 1/10
More than likely any conversation between Arsene Wenger and Valencia has to do with a transfer agreement for Jose Antonio Reyes moving permanently to Spain rather than Villa joining Arsenal. Oddly, Nicolas Anelka is being heavily linked to a surprise move to Valencia now.

UPDATE (11.01am)
Nicolas Anelka just said this....
The interest from the Spaniards is really touching.Valencia are a great club. Going over there to try to win La Liga and help the club qualify for the Champions League is very tempting.
NEW Transfer Possibilty Rating - 4/10. I still can't see it but there is no way Valencia will employ both Villa and Anelka at the same time. And Liverpool won't buy another striker, nor will Manchester United (presuming Tevez is done) and nor will Chelsea.

Transfer Rumours - Nicolas Anelka

Unlike many of the fans who have newly filled the capacity of Emirates, some of us recall a time before Thierry Henry. And before Henry there was Anelka.

I should declare my interest here. When we signed Thierry Henry as a replacement for Nicolas Anelka I didnt think that Henry looked the part and was convinved that what we were losing was impossibe to replace. But I was wrong.

Henry and Anelka have had their careers progress in very different directions in the years since Anelka's brothers agitated for the move to Real Madrid that would change both their lives. Henry has become a world football icon and Arsenal record goal scorer while Anelka has become a footballing nomad making stops in such footy outposts as Bolton, Fenerbace, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City.

While Henry has fully realised his potential, Anelka has sulked around Europe dripping both class and bile in equal measure. Because like every footballer who leaves the Arsenal of Arsene Wenger, the success (Gio), money (Ashley Cole) or weather (Jose Antonio Reyes) are never more lucious that the green grass of football played by the Arsenal and the player's bespoke role within the system.

Could then Nicolas Anelka replace Thierry Henry's role within the side? Yes. This boy has immense talent as we unfortunately witnessed first hand last season. On the plus side, he's also almost two years younger than Henry and we wouldn't have to make him captain. He is starving to play the football we play and is guaranteed a place within the France side should he join us. In fact, with Euro 2008 12 months away, Anelka could certainly upset the applecart of France should he prove his worth to Arsenal once again. On the negative side, a black cloud surrounds this man. While he has surely become more mature in recent years there have to be question marks about his attitude.

Is this worth the risk?

Absolutement.

Wenger knows precisely how Anelka would fit into our football and while he may not be the figurehead upon which all of our football would now be played (a la Henry) he would definitely share the responsibility with Van Persie and fairly or unfairly cast much less of a shadow over the talents of other players in the side like Rosicky and Fabregas.

There are others we should look at very seriously. But Anelka is the player who would most quickly adapt to our football and not overshadow Robin Van Persie or Manu Adebayor.

TRANSFER POSSIBILITY RATING - 6/10

There is something rather too perfect about a scenario where Anelka the prodigal son returns to the club to replace his replacement, our interest could simply be his people whipping up competition for a player on Manchester United's radar. The £10m figure sounds about right however and Anelka is absolutely the one player on earth who could be confident and experienced enough to step into Henry's shoes with the Arsenal and be Le Man up front for Arsene Wenger. He's done so before and this time he is actually in his prime.