If I was buying a piece of second hand machinery I required to enhance my factory I would assess its worth and bid accordingly. I don't have a factory, I'm just saying if I did that's what I'd do. It is simple economics and good business practice.

Nice to see Arsenal do the same thing with a transfer, especially so since they obviously knew that no one else was bidding for the AA man. Arshavin will have no resale value which is a minus for Wenger. Clearly Zenit needed the sale which was a plus, clearly they didn't really want to sell him and clearly they p*ssed off both us and the AA man in the course of the saga. Clearly the Russians don't do business in what we would regard as the normal manner. But never mind, it is unlikely we'll be dealing with them ever again because they have nothing else we want.

As transfer policies go, if indeed it is a policy, ours has to be better than the Totts' sell them then buy them back on a random basis at a random price. Also you will note, if you haven't already, that Arsenal said nothing till the deal was done. It may p*ss us off but so what - do the deal then talk about it. If Zenit hadn't mouthed off none of us would have known what was going on and no-one would have got p*ssed off as a consequence. It's the Arsenal way and long may it be so. Think about it - if the Sol Campbell transfer was known to one and all in advance, would it have been such fun? Would it even have happened? Probably a no on both counts.

From the clips I've seen he could well be a major impact player for us. He can't play in Europe so will stay fresh. But let's not expect too much too soon - he is a great player, he clearly doesn't rate his Russian team-mate up the road, he's already learnt some English, he already stated that he's a Gooner, he signed autographs for the fans down at Ashburton, he is very two-footed, he shoots from outside the area, he takes players on, he looks great one on one with a keeper, he has pace, he has quick feet and reports seem to indicate he works hard for his team. BUT he won't be fit or up to Premiership speed for maybe two or three weeks yet, so patience is required.

Former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat said: "Arsenal don't realise just how good a player Andrei Arshavin is. He'll be a sensation in England. He's worth more than they have paid."

He is described by Gus Hiddink as the cleverest player he's ever managed.

There is a great value, that is maybe not really appreciated by Wenger, in having the Arsenal fans all pumped up again. The team was flagging, and we were flagging. The season just got seriously interesting again at a point where many had already written 2008-09 off. So who knows, but I suspect the arrival of Arshavin will quite possibly do us far, far more good than a new centre back or ball winner. Maybe Arsene does know.

Walcott - Arshavin - Nasri - Fabregas - van Persie. Is that potential combination mouth watering or what?