Interesting rumours reaching Arseweb suggest that although Nicolas Anelka's transfer to Italy is a virtual certainty, it may not necessarily be to Lazio.

Teamtalk reckon that Juventus are prepared to offer French international Thierry Henry (approx value £8m) plus a substantial amount of cash to gazump Lazio at the last minute. Teamtalk go on to water down their own report (oi! that's our job!) by saying: 'Anelka is understood to have said that he would rather go on striker (sic!) than join Juventus'.

But Arseweb has heard suggestions from a private source that we had already done a deal to buy Thierry Henry anyway. Perhaps Teamtalk are reading the right signs in the wrong way, or perhaps our source is a lying git. But this is why they call it the silly season.