Arsenal could go into next season with one experienced centre back: Thomas Vermaelen.

Look what's happening: Philippe Senderos has joined Fulham on a free, William Gallas is definitely leaving, all's quiet on the Mikael Silvestre front and all the while Celtic boss Neil Lennon is courting our best defender during the latter stages of last season: Sol Campbell.

Meanwhile, what are our officials doing? Wenger's commenting on the forthcoming World Cup for the French media, Hill-Wood telling the British media about who we've failed to sign and that's more of less it.

Yes, we've signed Chamakh, who could be a great signing it's true, but is he a centre back? No.

Yes, we've signed some youngsters with potential...well, that goes on all the time at Arsenal. We're quite good at that, but what about experienced centre backs? How good are we at signing them? Not very good, would be my answer.

Meanwhile, Celtic boss Neil Lennon is doing all he can to get Campbell while we twiddle our fingers and let our central defence be decimated. It's almost Nero-like. Yes, I know he sounds like a Brazilian superstar, but I'm talking about the Roman emperor, who some say set fire to Rome. Oops, bit of a digression there, but I'm beginning to panic.

Wenger always says he doesn't sign players on the basis of a good World Cup. Why not conclude all business before the tournament then, when prices are lower? Maybe we're going to buy players who are not involved in it, so it doesn't matter.

I'm not sure. I'm beginning to think we're not going to buy a centre back. Last June, we signed Vermaelen. Who will it be this time? No one?

Am I panicking for no reason? Kyle Bartley probably deserves a chance next season, it's true. Is he good enough, maybe, we'll see. We've still got Djourou. If he's fit, surely he's good enough...except he fancies himself more as a central midfielder. Talking of which, we've got the ever-versatile Alex Song. So that's four centre backs, so what am I worried about? Well, I'd like us to keep Sol, that's for sure and that's beginning to look unlikely.

Celtic are offering him a two-year deal and a long holiday so he can go on honeymoon. What are we doing? Nothing, it seems. Our negotiating stance is 'take it or leave it'. We seem to say to Sol: 'Sol, you're too old. Here's a one-year deal. The money's not all that, but if you think you can get a better and longer deal somewhere else you can leave with our blessing'. Now that's all very gentlemanly, but is that the best way to conduct ourselves in the transfer market.

I'm still upset about our lack of transfer activity in the last window. It actually haunts me. By some miracle, last January we were still in the title hunt. But instead of speculating to accumulate, we sat on our hands and did next to nothing.

People criticise David Dein, but he seemed to be a good negotiator. He was active in bringing good players to the club. Since he left, what have his successors done? Not as much, it seems to me.

Anyway, back to Sol..."I'm getting married on July 17," Campbell told the Scottish Sun.

"But Neil's told me he's quite flexible, that if I need 10 days-two weeks honeymoon then he'll be fine with that.

"That really makes me happy because if I'm not happy, and my family's not happy, then you're not going to play your best football are you?

"If I were to sign for Celtic then I'm likely to miss the first leg of the European tie.

"I don't know who Celtic will get, but hopefully it would be someone that would give them a good chance of progressing.

"It's a difficult one, but I can't move my wedding.

"Football's very important to me and I would give Celtic everything if I sign."

Bye bye Sol, it was nice knowing you!

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