Like many other ongoing issues regarding both Arsenal FC and Arsenal plc at this moment in time - from Stan Kroenke to Franck Ribery - the continuing debate surrounding the future of our past and present number nines is one that changes and develops as time rolls forward. ‘Stuff José! Keep the Beast!’ I and doubtless many other Gooners thought as Júlio Baptista put four past Liverpool, and a brace against the Spuds. ‘Where’s our depth on the wings? We need José back!’ has been another claim, in light of the sparse choices beyond Hleb, Rosicky and Walcott.

As Tim Stillman’s detailed article in The Gooner issue 174 points out, whilst prospective players and owners may be passing, some conclusion between ‘La Bestia’ and his makeweight José Antonio Reyes will have to be reached this summer and whilst I like many others have my own personal idea as to what sort of deal should be made, the story behind the two players itself makes for compelling reading. One of two young prodigies, etching out their careers alongside one another, only to replace each other at Highbury/ Ashburton Grove, both with similarly inconclusive histories laid down behind them.

At Seville, the first part of this years-long drama, the reputations of both players were nigh-on impeccable. With Reyes scoring on average once in every four games by the age of 21, and Baptista being seen as the ‘Brazilian Steven Gerrard’ with a similarly impressive record of 38 goals in 63 La Liga matches, they looked like the epitome of any third team Wenger may have wanted to create post-Invincibles. This coupled to the fact that Reyes scored twice on his full international debut, and it looked like Wenger had a starlet on his hands at hefty £9 million upwards.

Whilst Reyes seemed to have all the understandable growing pains that come from such a bold move, with peaks such as the FA Cup goals against Chelski, Baptista’s form ran unabated; building up even more attention from other clubs; Arsenal included. Yet the fundamental question that is rarely asked when this interwoven story is looked back upon, is ‘why didn’t we just get Baptista then, instead of Reyes?’ The reason being that Júlio would have apparently not met the work permit regulations that almost scuppered Silvinho and Edu before him, so his move to Real Madrid even for a single season was, in an ironic way, the only way Baptista could ever don the great red-and-white.

So with this in mind we come to the skewered, messy affair that is the Reyes-Baptista transfer saga. This third and (for now) final part of a long and protracted affair now involves so many characters and stipulations, that I would say it’s possible to create a well-constructed argument for either camp. What Reyes lacks in physical presence, he makes up for in his pace and (slightly) better goal rate. What Baptista doesn’t appear to possess in the through-ball (Reyes being a high assist maker) he can outdo in his knack for the scrappy goal and footballing integrity: void of the cynical, fall-to-the-ground tactics his Seville counterpart embodied.

Yet in spite of the ‘aye’ or ‘nae’ camps, as parliamentary spiel would put it, I’m going to deviate from the possibility of having either player. In my mind: stuff ‘em. Reyes, in two-and-a-half years of English football, did not show enough consistency to merit any prolonged stay at The New Home of Football. Even if he were to return, after the whole ‘I do/don’t wan’t to leave’ shambles of last summer he will be welcomed back with far from open arms.

Baptista, on the other hand, can’t be faulted for trying; I have no doubt in that. Yet, like Reyes, his first touch is too often poor, and the eye for goal in a team where RVP and TH14 are both absent is too often missing in the almost thirty appearances he has made, half being starts. Maybe it is too much to ask of ‘The Beast from Brazil’ in one fragmented season, yet sadly any possibility of a second season-long loan deal (which I would see as ideal) would involve Reyes staying, Real being compensated somehow or Capello not being sacked to make way for manager no.1,462: most of which I can’t see happening.

In my mind, the club should simply cut its losses with both players, and seek out another alternative, like a Van Der Vaart in Europe or playing Diaby on the wing. Though it would be hasty to dismiss Baptista with half a dozen or so games left to the season, I would hope he proves me wrong ultimately and demonstrates his worth. Yet it’s all just emblematic of the frantic, inconsistent careers both he and Reyes have had to deal with in the last half decade.