Arsenal could be ready to make an £11m bid for midfielder Luka Modric (News of the World). Why have one Dinamo Zagreb player when you can have two! The Gunners are said to have first refusal on the highly-rated Croatian international, who is also said to be a target of  Bayern Munich and Ajax. The aggressive tough tackler would be a useful addition to Arsene Wenger’s squad and could keep Eduardo Da Silva company on his nights out on the tiles in Angel’s Upper Street.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Mirror reckon Arsenal are poised to sign Chelsea's 22-year-old French midfielder Lassana Diarra this week. Diarra is primarily a defensive midfielder but, as Jose Mourinho found out last term, he can also play at full-back. He's the kind of utility player Arsenal can do with, in the same vein as Mathieu Flamini (albeit he is on the left). A good signing with potential, the kind that Arsene Wenger revels in moulding.

Wenger has apparently refused to rule out a move for former Gunners striker Nicolas Anelka from Bolton (various). It seems Valencia have made a £13m bid for Anelka, whose solid performances last season have given him a new lease of life and attracted bigger clubs keen to free him from his Reebok contract.

Having completed moves with alarming regularity and at huge expense, Anelka's transfers now total over £50m. I am sure Bolton fans will not be overly surprised should he not be under Sammy Lee’s guidance come August. Arsenal seem to be a definite prospect; however, such is the rumour-mongering environment (which I am indeed perpetuating) that there are just as many sources claiming Arsene is not interested as those who say he is desperate to have Anelka fill TH14’s role.

Just what does a Director of Football do? The game existed without this relatively new job creation for many years - but now it seem Newcastle and Arsenal are after appointing one. New Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is hoping to lure Kevin Keegan out of retirement to become the club's Director of Football (various). This could work out well for everyone; KK is obviously a legend in the North-East and his arrival would do nothing but good for the Toon Army. But I would clear it first with Sam Allardyce, who would understandably feel that Keegan’s appointment could in theory interfere with his own position as boss.

Less understandable is the fact that Wenger is considering hiring former West Ham and Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder as Arsenal's Sporting Director (Mail on Sunday). Roeder wasn’t the worst manager those clubs ever had and the treatment he got from the press and some supporters was off kilter with the job he did. I think  it highly unlikely that Wenger will appoint him into this role, but if he does, I am sure he'll feel fairly certain he won't be subjected to a coup d'état.