Freddie Ljungberg's extension is said by Wenger to be "99% there", and the Pires departure rumours are also losing pace. Wenger continues to say that there have been no offers and that he is committed to keeping Bobby at Arsenal, and there have been mutterings from Pires' own side of things that any talk of a move is nonsense. Fingers crossed.

OUT: Sebastian Svard
The promising Danish midfielder made 3 first team appearances for the Gunners but spent most of his time since winning the youth cup with us in 2001 out on loan (FC Copenhagen, Stoke, and last season with John Jensen at Brondby). He has now been sold to Guimares in Portugal.

TRIALISTS: Song, Christanval
17 year old Cameroonian midfielder Alex Song and French centre-back Phillipe Christanval are waiting to hear if they'll be taken on by Arsenal after joining the squad for pre-season. Wenger has been pretty non-commital so far, saying of Song "For a young boy he has been quite impressive. He has been positive all the time and I must say he is not bad", and of Christanval, "He has done alright, but he is not yet used to the physical side of the game that we get everywhere we go". We could do with more cover at centre-back but Christanval has more experience than Song, so the physicality comment doesn't sound too promising for him.

RELEASED: Skulason, Birchall, Fowler, Simek, Karbassyoon
These 5 youngsters were released by the club at the start of the summer. Iceland international Skulason had been at Arsenal for ages and the only surprise was that we hung onto him for so long given that he'd failed to break through. Of the others, American striker Karbassyoon came closest, having played for the first team in the Carling Cup including the winning goal in the reserves' win over Man City's first team in last season's League Cup. But the brightest prospect of the 5 seemed to be his compatriot Frankie Simek, a defender who has since signed a 3 year deal with Sheffield Wednesday.