While the obvious questions still remain, i.e. will Nasri walk away on a free and shouldn’t we just sell now? I just cannot bring myself to think that far ahead now. This coming season is very important to our club, given the insane amount of pressure fuelled by the media and subsequently the Arsenal fan base. It is vitally important that we improve from last season and hopefully win trophies and to do that

That’s what I’m talking about. A bright and sunny start to the day, the Lean kids actually behaving themselves for once without fighting with each other. I sat on my train and flicked on twitter via the trusty mobile phone and I was greeted to news of Wenger saying that Nasri and Cesc will stay at Arsenal this year as well as the confirmation of Gervinho which was hardly news but it certainly is better than a smack in the face. Judging by all the Arsenal in crisis stories coming out in recent weeks, I get the impression that they would like to smack us all in the face, so this was a pleasant surprise.

I have been trying to make a conscious effort to ignore the rumours and focus on the players we have. Who leaves will leave and those that stay will have my full support next season. That said, it isn’t easy to wean  yourself off habits of a lifetime. Instead of forgetting about the Nasri and Cesc situations, I have found myself swatting away the thoughts from my mind.

While the obvious questions still remain, i.e. will Nasri walk away on a free and shouldn’t we just sell now? I just cannot bring myself to think that far ahead now. This coming season is very important to our club, given the insane amount of pressure fuelled by the media and subsequently the Arsenal fan base. It is vitally important that we improve from last season and hopefully win trophies and to do that we need the best players and the best combination of players.

Losing Nasri and Cesc would mean part of a team rebuilding job. Even if we signed talent such as Mata to replace either player, he would still have to adjust to a whole new life, a new league, a new team.

Whatever happens in the future will happen but currently, it is all about now. I am sure Wenger will get criticised for not offloading Nasri now and getting a fee but if he went the other way, I am sure he would get beaten by the same stick for not holding onto him.

While hearing Wenger speak like this is great, it cannot be ignored that the word ‘hopefully’ found its way into his sentence, so nothing is certain by any means.

Those who read Arsenal Vision regularly will know that I always believe that we have the quality to win trophies but I recently said that if our creative duo left then it would be difficult to go through a transitional period and end up top of the pile, but I also said that if we manage to keep Cesc and Nasri as well as strengthen the squad in other areas then we will have a very good chance of improving from last season.

One area of the team that will not be strengthened will be at left back, according to manager Arsene Wenger.

“The plan for left back is that we have Kieran Gibbs, Armand Traore and Thomas Vermaelen can play there too. So we have what we need,”

I must say, that is a little bit of a surprise and somewhat of a risk considering his injury record in recent seasons. I have no doubt that Gibbs can take that position in the longer term and by longer term I mean getting through the campaign without serious injury. With a run of games under his belt Gibbs can be the best left back in the country but from now until that inevitable time, I wonder how we are going to cope if Gibbs continues to get set backs and not play long enough to regain his best form. Armand Traore was on loan at Juventus last season and had a bit part role. During his last run in the team at Arsenal he had positional sense issues, it remains to be seen if those issues have been rectified during his time in Italy. Offensively Traore has it all. Very quick, powerful and a quality final ball but at full back having good offensive qualities is not enough.

Arsene also confirmed that both Bendtner and Almunia have been left behind to sort out their futures with other clubs, I imagine that it should happen pretty soon which will open up some more space in the squad for potential new signings.

Arsenal.com finally caught up with the Gervinho deal and have stuck something up on the player but the interviews and shots with Arsenal shirt are yet to be put on the site. He has been left behind in London because he hasn’t done any fitness work as yet. I bet Emmanuel Eboue is taking good care of him and showing him around the facilities and probably fighting over the number 27 shirt that Eboue currently wears while Gervinho owned that number at Lille.

I am looking forward to seeing him in the Emirates cup, I always find it a good indication of how the player will fit in and how the team adjust to having that player.

I would love to know what Wenger’s pecking order will be, should all our attacking wide players (Walcott, Arshavin, Nasri, Gervinho) stay at the club. I would also like to see what side Wenger wants Gervinho to play and what he will bring to the table that the others do not.

Anyway, it is great to have a little positive news which makes a pleasant change. The great thing is that the media have to report on this now and it spreads. ‘Cesc and Nasri to stay’ blurting around the Talksport, Sky Sports News, the newspapers. One bit of good news can make such a difference in how we are perceived. A fact that the media know all too well. For now, it is great. Until the next fabricated story comes our way of course.

Right, time to go and do something else.

Back tomorrow.