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It was nearly 10 years ago that the US magic man David Blaine hung from a glass box above the Thames as passers-by wandered beneath, not once looking up. The anticipation of the stunt had been huge, but when he was up there, it turned out that, actually, no one gave a monkeys. A fact that leads completely seamlessly to this year’s January transfer window – a window that promised to burst open behind the pressure of hysterical grabbing arms scrambling for bargains, but has instead merely fluttered in the breeze. A breeze that whispers the words “Wayne Bridge” and “Arsenal” over and over again. The Life’s A Pitch team ponders Arsenal’s options at left back, while waiting patiently for the big stories to roll in later in the month.

“It’s weird, we’re getting obsessed with whether Arsenal are going to get a left back or not,” says Ian Ridley of The Daily Express. “We’re used to wondering whether someone like Man Utd is going to sign Wesley Sneijder. Everyone gets excited about the window opening, and then nothing big happens until 29 January.”

Regardless, there have been rumours surfacing. Berbatov has been linked with a transfer to Bayern Munich, there has been much talk of Blackburn’s Samba heading south to QPR or Spurs. And then there are the various names being thrown at the left back shortage at Arsenal. Eric Abidal, Aly Cissokho of Lyon, Taye Taiwo of AC Milan, Saad Al-Mukhaini who plays for Fanja SC in the second division in Oman. Wayne Bridge.

“Wenger’s got two left backs who are injured,” says Dave Kidd of The People. “[Kieran] Gibbs looks like a promising left back, and [André] Santos looks good going forward but dodgy at the back. But Wenger obviously rates him, so I’d be surprised if he jumps in for Abidal, when he’s got a fair bit of belief in the two guys due to come back.”

“He’s made it fairly clear that he wants a full back on loan rather than signing a permanent one,” continues Rory Smith of the Times. “There are three names that have been linked recently: Wayne Bridge, Taiwo, and Saas Al-Mukhaini – the fact that he plays for a second division Omani club shows you just how desperate Wenger is… not to sign Wayne Bridge.”

Talk then turns to the woes at Blackburn, and the chances of Fulham getting stuck in before the window is slam shut on Martin Jol’s fingers.

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Swansea v Arsenal, live 3:30pm, 15 January, Sky Sports 1
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