Jens is here for one/two more years, Jose/Ashley/rumours and Graham Poll.

Jens has announced that he'll be hanging up his hallowed gloves in two years time. Sad news, and raises the question, will he be with us for both of those years? Given Arsene's reluctance to shop around for top-level goalkeepers, I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to hold on to Jens until the last possible moment. I hope he does stay with us for two years, but only if he's shows he can still cut it this year - which i fully expect him to do. He’s also been shooting his mouth off about Chel£ea, stating they’re not a ‘big club’. Oh Jens. What will we do when you’re gone.

Regarding both the Ashley and Jose sagas, they both seem to be continuing with almost ruthless interminability. It now appears that Chel£ea aren't going to stump up the necessary cash to prise Ash from us. In a way, I'd quite like it if he stayed, if only that it showed that we refuse to be bullied. £20m+ is a huge amount of money, but perhaps by showing Chelsea that they can't have their own way - well at least not for another two years - we may have earned something more. Or something like that. Either way, if not injured, I don't see why Ash shouldn't play for us on Saturday. A good performance could push his valuation up.

Jose is now saying how his 'dream' is on the verge of realisation. Pass me the sick bucket. He could at least show some class. I tried to maintain my scepticism in all of this, and give him the benefit of the doubt, but it does now fully appear that he's been engineering, and wanting, thsi move for quite a while. If he goes and no one comes in, despair. Despair.

Some news has appeared on incoming targets. Illiasu's name continues to be bandied about, with several clubs apparently willing to pick him up if we don't. I still think this is a deal that could happen. We've also been linked with Owen Hargreaves again - yes please [I know this is a volte-face] - although only in the most tenuous manner. A Nigerian forward from Lyn Oslo - nicknamed Edu apparently - is being watched by us, according to yesterday's Times, although I hadn't heard of him. Yaya Toure has joined Monaco, and Buffon has said that he was very tempted to join us, but didn't.

Finally, we've been given the delightful task of welcoming Mr. Graham Poll back to the Premiership on Saturday. If anyone has a job-lot of yellow cards, let me know. I've been thinking that it might be a tougher game than I thought on saturday, with villa, if only psychologically, a club undergoing a real renaissance at the moment. Nice to see no-one has accused them of 'not being an English club' even though they've just sold themselves to an American. hmm.