Arsenal are set to confirm the £7m -£7.5m signing of Bakary Sagna from Auxerre within the next 48 hours. The former France Under-21 right-back has held talks at the Emirates Stadium and will undergo a medical ahead of a probable announcement today. Auxerre’s president, Gerard Bourgoin, has been quoted as saying that Sagna has a "deep desire" to play in England and wants to "wear the Arsenal shirt". One could interpret that as having a deep desire to earn Premiership wages but that’s by the by.

Sagna, 24, has the reputation as an attacking full-back and has been with Auxerre since 2004.

He is expected to sign a five-year contract and his arrival will provide cover for Emmanuel Eboue at right-back or possibly freeing Eboue to play on the right side of midfield.

If the move is completed then it is likely that Justin Hoyte will be sold with Reading currently in pole position to reach terms with the youngster.

But with Sagna possibly arriving to join Croatian striker Eduardo Da Silva, Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and Norwegian defender Harvard Nordveit, it really does make you wonder what William Gallas has been banging on about for the last few days regarding the lack of signings compared to the competition. I always assumed (possibly for tribal reasons) that it was Chelsea that were being intractable and unreasonable prior to WG’s signing for the Arse but now I’m not so sure.

Roll on the new season and the battle for fourth place.