Hoyte impressed in several games mid-season, when he filled in for Lauren as well as a couple of games at centre-back, but missed the run-in with an injury.

Arsene Wenger is said to be willing to sanction only a season-long loan deal. But most fans reckon the position is our weakest, with Lauren having been shown up somewhat by several left wingers last season (most notably Ronaldo in the cup final) as well as showing a dangerously aggressive streak with some embarassing and unnecessary two-footed lunges. So Hoyte leaving for any amount of time would be a big blow right now unless there are plans to replace him with an established star who can provide a genuine challenge to Lauren's place. West Ham are said to be particularly interested, as there are rumours that Tomas Repka is set to leave, but Blackburn and Wolves are also put in the frame. He'd be a good buy for anyone.

Lauren, incidentally, has failed to show up for a Cameroon training camp in Paris. He has said that he'd changed his mind about retiring fropm international football, but will now miss the crucial qualifier against Benin on Saturday. They're likely to miss out on next year's World Cup, being 4 points adrift in second place, with 4 to play, behind the Ivory Coast in a group from which only one team will qualify.

Talks are also said to be underway between Crystal Palace and Arsenal, with a view to Palace taking striker Ryan Smith on loan.