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There's no time like the present for Arsene Wenger, especially now that Samir Nasri has followed fellow ex-Gunner Cesc Fabregas out the doors of Anfield and forged a new path forward with Manchester City. With his two biggest stars finally gone after months (and, in Cesc's case, years) of speculation and the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League season officially underway, Wenger cannot afford to wait to fill the holes with which Arsenal are replete.

Unless, of course, he would prefer to manage a giant slab of Swiss cheese.

According to multiple reports, Nasri will sign a new five-year deal with City that will pay him wages of £180,000-a-week once he passes his medical in Manchester. He'll join former Arsenal mate Gael Clichy, who vacated the starting left back position at Emirates on a £7 million transfer in the earlier portion of the offseason. In return for Nasri, the Gunners will receive £25 million in transfer fees.

Which, when added to the £35 million accrued in the deal that sent Fabregas to Barcelona, gives Wenger a rather useful £60 million lump of cash that he can and must put in play as soon as possible to replace his wantaway stars.

Wenger has had his eye on Valencia midfielder Juan Mata as Fabregas' immediate successor but will lose the bidding war for his services without swift action now that Chelsea have lodged a £29 million offer.  He's also been keen to add an elite defender over the course of the summer, though his top target, Bolton's Gary Cahill, appears destined for Liverpool.

Time and again, it seems, Wenger has been left standing at the altar while his own players continue to shuffle off to new destinations. What's worse, his only mature addition of the summer, Gervinho, is currently serving a three-game suspension stemming from an altercation with Bolton's Joey Barton.

If Wenger stands idly by without adding a player of consequence before the summer transfer window closes at the end of the month, he'll be left with nothing but a pile of cash and a squad in danger of a precipitous drop down the Premiership table.

—Josh Martin

Follow @J0shMart1n

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Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Willian sent the rumor mill into a tizzy by telling the Daily Mail that he would love to play in England. The 23-year-old would bring a much needed threat to the Arsenal offense and add a little flair along the way.

Having fallen out of the Juan Mata, or so it seems, the Gunners have turned their attention to alternative options such as Willian or Mauro Zarate in an attempt to add some punch to an otherwise questionable group of attackers.

The asking price for Willian is rumored to be £13 million with Arsenal joined by fellow Premiership members Chelsea and Tottenham in taking a look at him. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger needs to make an impact move before the window closes and beating out two competitors would do that.

Willian has scored 13 goals in 99 games with Shakhtar Donetsk since joining the squad in 2007. He previously played for Corinthians, where he scored two goals in 16 games. At 5'9'', the Brazilian doesn't have great size but makes up for it with quickness.

Of all the teams interested in his services, Willian would get the best chance to shine with Arsenal. Between the transfer of Cesc Fabregas, the likely transfer of Samir Nasri and a rash of injuries to depth players, Willian could step right in and make a big impact.

He wouldn't have much trouble fitting into the Arsenal offense, that focuses on quick ball movement to create scoring chances, because he is great with the ball at his feet. The threat of him taking a pass and running with it would help keep defense honest.

Wenger has no choice but to make a deal before the transfer window closes in less than two weeks or he'll rile up an entire fan base against him. While Willian wouldn't be the groundbreaking move some Gunners fans were dreaming up when the window opened, he would be better than nothing.

Willian likes the Arsenal style of play and the Gunners could use a player with his talent, now it's just up to Wenger to get a deal done.

--Tim Daniels

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After failing to lure Juan Mata away from Valencia, Arsenal have turned their attention to Lazio striker Mauro Zarate, according to talkSPORT. Zarate scored nine goals in Serie A play last season and the Gunners would count on him to be a partial cure for their offensive woes.

Although it would be a gamble by manager Arsene Wenger, he has to take chances after missing out on his main targets over the summer. It is unclear how Zarate would translate to Arsenal's quick ball movement style, but the options are limited with just 13 days left until the window closes.

The asking price is £10 million, which is well within the range of Arsenal. The Gunners should receive around £60 million after the transfers of both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri have been completed. Wenger has said he's willing to spend upwards of £40 million.

Zarate was no longer in Lazio's plans after the team acquired Miroslav Klose and Djibril Cisse. At 24 years old, the best years of his career should still be in front of him, so it might both worth the risk to Wenger. If he busts out, at least the fans can't say he didn't do anything with a full wallet.

The move becomes even more intriguing when you consider the rash of injuries Arsenal has been dealing with over the past few weeks. If the squad had trouble scoring goals before, after the run of injuries and transfers, it's going to be a real struggle.

Spartak Moscow and Atletico Madrid are also interested in the striker. As Wenger has learned throughout the transfer window, if you have a chance to acquire a player you covet, get the deal done or something else will. That will likely be the case with Gary Cahill, as well.

Zarate is worth the gamble because the offense can use all the help it can get at this point.

--Tim Daniels

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It's been a tumultuous offseason for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has let the transfer window get the better of him this summer. If the Gunners boss isn't able to make at least one notable move before the window closes in 13 days, there will be a lot of disappointed fans.

Cesc Fabregas has been moved to Barcelona and Samir Nasri appears to be on his way to Manchester City, leaving a gaping hole in the midfield for last season's fourth place finishers. The only addition to this point has been developmental project Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Arsenal has been frequently linked to players like Gary Cahill and Juan Mata over the past few weeks, but weren't able to complete the acquisitions which allowed other teams to join the race to sign two of the more talented players left on the market.

Wenger's problem hasn't been a lack of effort, instead it's been a lack of closing the deal. Although Arsenal haven't been racking up any trophies, they are still one of the top clubs in Europe and should be able to attract top-notch talent.

For whatever reason, it just hasn't happened. Wenger has said he would be willing to spend upwards of £40 million for the right combination of players. At this point in the window though, there aren't many big money targets left.

While Cahill and Mata are among the most speculated names available on the market, both have several clubs trying to acquire their services. Cahill is reportedly close to a deal with Liverpool and Mata's most likely suitor is Chelsea.

With an infusion of nearly £60 million assuming the Nasri transfer is completed, Wenger has no excuses left in the tank. He should be able to entice at least one marquee player to join the Gunners over the next two weeks.

If he doesn't, there will be serious questions raised about his ability to keep Arsenal among the top teams in the league without an infusion of talent. Needless to say, Gunners fans won't be pleased if none of that £60 million is used to improve the squad.

--Tim Daniels

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Failing to acquire Gary Cahill or Juan Mata earlier in the transfer window might come back to bite the Gunners as more teams join the discussions. Arsenal has been linked to each of the players for an extended period, but haven't been able to complete the moves.

According to Goal.com, Valencia recently declined a £22 million from Chelsea for Mata. The 23-year-old striker has shown the ability to be both a playmaker and a goal scorer during his time with Los Che and would help cure Arsenal's offensive woes.

Chelsea is not the only club to join the bidding other the past few days as Italian powerhouse Internazionale has been speculated to have interest with the possible departures of Samuel Eto'o and Wesley Sneijder.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told the media last week that he was giving up the chase for Mata after another rejected offer, but the speculation has continued. His creativity would be a pleasant addition to a side that lacks consistency on the attack.

Cahill has been near the top of Wenger's wish list for awhile to fill the void in the center of defense. The Sun has reported that Liverpool are close to completing a deal for the 25-year-old defender, which would be another big disappointment for the Gunners.

Wenger should have more than £60 million available after the transfers of Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas to Manchester City and Barcelona, respectively. The manager has said he would be willing to spend more than two-thirds of that cash if the right players were available.

With the transfer market ending in less than two weeks and the options beginning to dwindle, it doesn't seem like the Gunners will be able to spend anywhere near £40 million. If they miss out on both Cahill and Mata, it would lead to some very unhappy fans.

Cahill is highly regarded for his strength in the box and has slowly become one of the best leaders in the world. His aerial skills are among the best in the Premier League among central defenders and would be a welcome upgrade at Emirates.

The money is there, where are the signings? With 13 days to go until the market closes, time is now the enemy of Arsenal's transfer hopes.

--Tim Daniels

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Star midfielder Samir Nasri is finally on his way to Manchester City, according to ESPNsoccernet. Nasri will undergo a physical and then sign a five-year pact with the Citizens. The move to City comes after weeks of negotiations and speculation about Nasri's future.

The transfer fee will be in the neighborhood of £25 million. Arsenal would have liked to keep the 24-year-old playmaker, but when it became clear his heart was set on a move they drove up his price as high as they could before giving in to his request.

Within the span of a week, Arsenal have lost two key cogs in their midfield and will turn to young players to fill the void, for now at least. Cesc Fabregas returned to Barcelona for a reported £34 million, which brings the transfer total to £59 million from the two midfielders.

Manager Arsene Wenger said he would spend up to £40 million if he could find the right player or players on the transfer market, but there doesn't appear to be any deals imminent. Wenger had previously expressed confidence in young players filling the holes left in the middle.

Aaron Ramsey, a 20-year-old with class on the ball, was already thrust into the lineup after the departure of Fabregas and now will take on an even heavier load in the midfield. Alex Song filled the other void in Arsenal's Champions League Playoff game, but is in the middle of a Premier League suspension.

While the Gunners have a lot of young talent in the system, Ramsey included, it will take some time for those players to develop into the impact performers that Fabregas and Nasri had become. That means Arsenal will either have to make some moves or suffer through some growing pains.

Arsenal would have loved to keep Fabregas and Nasri, but it just wasn't possible. So they now have an infusion of cash and fans will eagerly anticipate what they might do with it. If they don't spend any of it on an upgrade, there will be some unhappy campers at Emirates.

--Tim Daniels

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Arsene Wenger has some tricks up his sleeve. Please don’t think that all of his patience and transfer temperament is for naught. He will have some talent land at Emirates shortly, if Chelsea doesn’t screw it all up first.

Arsenal is about to say their final adieus to winger Samir Nasri. It is something that they have kicked and screamed over, but its finality is assured.

The cash they will receive will immediately be used to shore up that position. The patience may well pay off after all. The only thing left to do is distract Chelsea long enough to keep their plan intact.

Arsenal has been planning on a coup to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata. The Spanish international was seen as a seamless transition between Nasri. That well-laid plan has a hiccup the size of Chelsea’s bank account.

Mirror Football reports Chelsea is about to offer a sizable amount for Mata’s services, in the amount of £20 million to be exact. This is in addition to Chelsea’s attempt to sign midfield star, Luka Modric.

This shows the great chasm that is present between the two perennial giants in English football. The Gunners are seen as a club with unlimited purse strings that spend frivolously. This summer has seen them fall on humble days.

Now a club that should be on equal footing with them may get over on them in a crucial signing. The bad news is no missing out on Mata. A manager like Arsene Wenger can deal with such things.

The Gunners have young talent that will soon rise to be the cream of North London.

The horrendous item for Arsenal is the lack of confidence supporters now have in their ability to bring in top players. The summer has seen far more loss than addition, and Mata exacerbates the sentiment.

Winning cures all ills though. That just means the Premier league title would be useful now more than ever. 

—Gabe Zaldivar

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Arsene Wenger has a mess dumped on him this past summer. He was hit with a bevy of disgruntled employees that wanted to be shown the door. After months of plotting and toying, the Gunners boss is about to be rid of every last one of them.

David Ornstein of BBC Sport reports Arsenal is close to approving of a deal to send winger, Samir Nasri, to Manchester City.

The report asserts that Nasri may be shown the door with 24 hours, and is worth £25 million. The French star is about to get the one thing he wanted this summer. That sort of thing seems to happening with great regularity around Emirates.

Cesc Fabregas was granted his greatest wish to re-join his club, Barcelona. Gael Clichy wanted a new start at the beginning of the summer, and it was granted.

Now after some petulant requesting, the Gunners best winger is about to get the release that he asked for weeks ago. For being a top-flight club, the Gunners are quite accommodating.

The assumed departure comes after a rough weekend for Arsenal and Nasri. The Gunners drew with Newcastle, 0-0, despite outplaying them in all areas of the pitch besides the middle.

Then news hit that Nasri derided supporters by asserting that he was fed up on his Facebook account. Nasri later asserted that the Facebook posting was a fake and that he had no such feelings.

While that very well may be true, the fact remains that Nasri has used up his last bit of goodwill with fans. The winger had his best season last year, and all fans want to do is see him off.

That speaks volumes on how where this saga now lies. The Gunners will soon revamp the roster with young talent. First, they have to take care of the last mess remaining. 

—Gabe Zaldivar

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Arsene Wenger is a man without a supporter. The win against Udinese did little to quell a side that is slowly bleeding talent all over Europe. So if you listen to Wenger, you will hear the talk of a desperate man.

Great magicians work under the auspices of slight of hand. “Please don’t look at this box, look over there,” they might say.

Well an up and coming magician would do well to take a page from the Arsenal boss. He is putting quite a positive spin on a signing that we may not see the results of for another year or so.

Joel Campbell very well could be a star once he matures with the first-team. His acquisition by Wenger is truly something to be pleased with if you are an Arsenal supporter. Yet, he has failed to bring in a big name that is accomplished.

Therefore, the cagey manger would like you to be thankful for players that may one day turn into big names. He tells reporters the following. 

Joel is a young prospect, he has talent and he can play right, left or centrally. We took a gamble on him but, from what we have seen, it is worth taking. Campbell could join the club, Gervinho has joined the club, Carl Jenkinson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have joined the club and people forget that… Sometimes you feel the reputation of the player is punished by the fact he did not have a massive transfer fee. You would like people to look just at the quality of the players and feel if they are Arsenal players or not.

Again, please don’t look over there, look here. Yes, Arsenal may have seen a couple of steady vets go, but the team has some fantastic prospects.

That would make some clubs proud, but this is Arsenal. The Gunners need talent that is ready to star in the league now. Wenger better hope that his young gambles are ready to blossom immediately, because he there is a lot riding on them.

—Gabe Zaldivar

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Arsene Wenger is a fabulous leader that gets the most from his men on a weekly basis. He added one more thing to his resume this summer, a manager that makes departures easy on all involved. Who knew he was so versatile?

The Gunners are losing all their ammo, bit by tiny bit. The team is under a huge overhaul, which can be good sometimes. There is nothing wrong in revamping the side when fate and chance deem it is long overdue. I just wish Arsene Wenger wasn’t reveling in it so much.

Arsenal is saying goodbye to another first-team player from last season. Emmanuel Eboue may have all his best years behind him, and it was clear that he had fallen out of favor.

However, Wenger apparently coaxed him into leaving, as a father would when his son is off to college. Eboue let us in on a couple of nice little tidbits on Wednesday.

SkySports reports North London rival, Tottenham, targeted the defender. A move to the Spurs would have brought the house down. He also mentioned a talk he had with his former boss.

The reason why I've signed for Galatasaray is that the manager wants me here and he wants me to play, so that gave me more confidence to come here. When I spoke to Arsene Wenger about it, he said the manager here is a really nice guy. So when he told me that I was happy and I said 'okay, I'll come here to see if it's true or not'. 

There we have the best in the business in seeing his players off acting in rare form. Sure, you may have not used Eboue, but that is no reason to savor the moment. This team is bleeding talent onto the rest of Europe. At some point, Wenger has to begin bringing players in.

This is a small sign of a bigger problem. The players at Anfield are much more comfortable walking towards the exit sign then they are coming in the door. 

—Gabe Zaldivar

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Cesc Fabregas I still fresh off a whirlwind departure that has left Arsenal in shambles. Arsene Wenger is now busy looking for a player that can fill the void. It is a good thing he is on the roster already.

If you want to look for upside, or happen to need a boost of optimism, you may want to have a chat with Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna.

The cagey defenseman thinks that winger, Aaron Ramsey, can solve all of the Gunners problems. That is putting a great deal of pressure on a player that is just getting started. I have a feeling this talk was drummed up after Ramsey showed his ability to make plays this past Tuesday.

Ramsey was bolting down the right side of the field in Champions League play against Udinese. That is when he crossed a perfect pass into the box, finding Theo Walcott for the game’s lone goal.

It was a moment that had Arsenal supporters asking, Cesc Fabregas who? That is precisely the sentiment that Sagna is trying to get across to reporters. 

Every season we start a season and some players leave at the end of it. That's what happens and I just want to wish him [Fabregas] good luck. I will miss him of course but Aaron Ramsey did very well and he will show he is a great player as well. 

In one breath, Sagna praises Fabregas, and then quickly relays that the club will be alright, specifically citing Aaron Ramsey. The 20-year old certainly has a promising career ahead of him.

However, I would suggest Sagna temper his expectations a bit. There is a giant chasm between Fabregas and Ramsey, and it will take years for him to cross it.

For the time being, let’s hold out hope that Arsenal doesn’t see any more studs leave their pitch. 

—Gabe Zaldivar

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Pointed words directed at Arsenal by Samir Nasri were refuted by the man himself on Tuesday. The Gunners’ winger denied ever writing some heated sentiments on Facebook, but that does not mean he should get comfortable with his surroundings.

The French playmaker has been begging and pleading for a transfer from Emirates for quite some time. It is any wonder that he is shocked and dismayed at the reception he has allegedly received from supporters that once cheered him.

On Tuesday, multiple news outlets reported Nasri had let his emotions get the better of him. His alleged Facebook account stated, “It's nearly done. But I will leave with bitterness and anger in my heart.” That left the world wondering if the other shoe had finally dropped concerning the second most likely Arsenal departure of the summer.

Since that time, Nasri has gone on his official Twitter account, and given us the straight dope. He posted on Tuesday: 

Just to make things clear i dont have a facebook so i never said i was leaving with bitterness the guy who said that use a fake account

At this point, we have to take the star at his word. In fact, it is hardly wasting time on whether he has “bitterness” in his heart or not. What matters is Arsenal, and the roster they will have for the next year.

That side is forced to start over. It is a new day at Emirates, and the charge is to rework the club with a specific type of player, one that will stay.

Arsene Wenger has been continually hitting home the sentiment that Arsenal is a storied club that deserves respect, and every sports fan must agree.

For the past few years, players have seen the North London side as a mere stepping-stone, and it is time to change.

The club’s culture must be altered, and that begins with the last player that wants to leave, Samir Nasri. You may not have bitterness in your heart, but you surely cannot stay. The time for Nasri to leave is far over due. 

—Gabe Zaldivar

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You know that old saying about not believing everything you read in the news? These days, it’s more fitting to say that you shouldn’t believe everything you read on Facebook.

Just ask Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri. He can vouch.

As some of you may or may not be aware, Nasri, who appears poised to be transferred to Manchester City, posted an angry message on his Facebook page claiming that he would be leaving with “bitterness and anger” in his heart.

Needless to say, that caused something of a fuss in the media. There’s just one problem: that was not Nasri’s Facebook page. He doesn’t have one.

We know this because Nasri revealed the truth, naturally, on Twitter

“Just to make things clear i dont have a facebook so i never said i was leaving with bitterness the guy who said that use a fake account,” he wrote.

And for the record, this particular Twitter account does indeed bear a blue check mark. If you’re not on Twitter, that means it’s Nasri.

No matter what his temperament is going to be like, though, it does seem to be a foregone conclusion that Nasri is going to be leaving the Gunners in the very near future. Gunners manager Arsene Wenger said recently that his club is not in a good position to keep him, and it’s worth noting that Nasri himself did not retract his tweet from a day earlier, in which he accused fans of being “disrespectful.”

In other words, the Gunners can’t keep Nasri and he doesn’t want to be there anyway.

Because of that, Nasri may as well be leaving with bitterness and anger in his heart. Like it or not, that’s probably how Arsenal fans are going to remember his departure down the road. As such, Nasri can expect to hear more disrespectful chants when Manchester City pays a visit to Emirates in early April.

But don’t worry, Samir. I’m sure they’ll understand if you let them know via tweet that you have no hard feelings.

-Zachary D. Rymer

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If there was one good thing to be said about Arsenal finally completing Cesc Fabregas’ transfer to Barcelona, it’s that the blasted thing was finally done. Took them long enough.

Then came the ugly truth. With Fabregas gone and Samir Nasri seemingly halfway to Manchester City, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is now tasked with patching a rather glaring hole in his club’s midfield.

To do that, the word from Goal.com is that Wenger has it in mind to go out and acquire Lille midfielder Eden Hazard. Wenger’s price: €20 million.

Not a bad valuation, but Lilles think their 20-year-old is worth a little more. Check that, they think he’s worth twice as more, as the word around the campfire is that Lilles won’t let go of Hazard for anything less than €40 million.

Naturally, that puts Wenger in something of a tight spot. If he wants to continue to low-ball Lilles for Hazard, he’s going have to put up with the hole in Arsenal’s midfield for longer than he would like to. If he relents, a serious dent is going to be put in the cash his club got in the Fabregas transfer and will get in the Nasri transfer.

Moreover, the word from ESPNStar.com is that Lilles would just as soon keep Hazard. If nothing else, we can take that as a sign that they’re not going to be quick to lower their price.

If all of this sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because it is oddly reminiscent of the Fabregas situation. Barca tried their damndest to get him for much less than the €35 million bid they had rejected in 2010, but Wenger wouldn’t budge. He of course got his wish, as he shipped off Fabregas for slightly under €35 million.

They probably wouldn’t put it as such, but Lilles is definitely taking a page out of Wenger’s book. If he really wants Hazard, then he’s going to have to pay their price. Lilles have all the leverage.

Will Wenger give in? That’s hard to see, but that’s just because we’re talking about Wenger. But you just never know. Desperation can make a man do funny things.

-Zachary D. Rymer

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After captain Cesc Fabregas took off for Barcelona, reports came out on Tuesday that Sami Nasri would "certainly leave very soon" with "bitterness and anger." 

Talk about a bad start to the Premier League season. 

All of a sudden, boss Arsene Wenger is scrambling to find a central midfielder and centre back to replace two formidable parts of the Gunners' squad. 

Recent rumors have the Gunners pursuing 27-year-old Brazil midfielder Jadson, a late bloomer with a terrific goal-scoring record. Jadson isn't they typical young gun Arsenal usually deploys, but his experience will be needed to mentor whatever youth is left. 

The only problem is, the Gunners don't just need a mentor; they need serious talent and a whole lot of luck at this point if they expect to contend in a very competitive league this season. Not only has Manchester City risen up the ranks after a spending spree in the offseason, Manchester United and Chelsea continue to reign as league favorites. 

Wenger has predictably downplayed the obstacle before Arsenal this season, but it's obvious there are some clear holes on the team at this point, and there has yet to be a potential legitimate replacement to emerge for the club. 

Jadson certainly isn't a bad player to add at around 10 million pounds, but it certainly shows the Gunners have lowered their expectations as to who they can acquire. 

While Internazionale midfielder Wesley Sneijder appears determined to transfer to Manchester United, Arsenal is taking whatever it can get. 

The Gunners are in danger of falling off the map this season. 

-Ryan Rudnansky