Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Fabregas, Nasri and Clichy May Be Gone by Week's End

The winds of change are whipping around the Emirates these days, though they seem to be a bit colder and stiffer than most Arsenal fans would like.

Now, if the Gunners' worst fears come true and they end up selling off the trio of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy within the week, then the football apocalypse may just be nigh, and it could stand within reason that manager Arsene Wenger would end up on a pyre for his crimes against Gooners everywhere.

Fabregas' departure should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the English Premier League. The Spanish midfielder has long expressed a desire to return to his home country, preferably to play at Camp Nou for Barcelona as a member of the three-time defending champions of La Liga.

After some wrangling, and a meddling offer of £45 million from league-rival Real Madrid for Fabregas' services, it appears as though the Gunners are finally ready to let go of Cesc for a price tag of approximately £34 million, which represents a significant improvement on the £27 million bid Barca made last week.

No official offers have come in for Nasri just yet, though Manchester United, one of Arsenal's EPL top four rivals, has some serious eye's for the 24-year-old Frenchman.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has a sizable hole to fill in his midfield, and Nasri, being one of the best young players at the position, would satiate that need quite beautifully, though obviously not for the Gunners' sake.

However, a bid of £20 million or more, which is what Nasri figures to fetch, could be too much for Wenger to turn down, in spite of the serious backlash he is sure to face should he let one of his prize pieces scamper to Old Trafford.

Of all the players the Gunners may lose before the start of the EPL season, none would be more tragic to see depart that Gael Clichy.

The 25-year-old left back is practically signed, sealed and delivered to Manchester City in a £7 million deal and is expected to take over the position at Eastlands for manager Roberto Mancini after a disappointing year by Wayne Bridge and Aleksander Kolarov.

What makes the Clichy situation so disheartening for Gooners is that he was slated to take over as captain of the Gunners, that is, until Cesc came along and stole the spotlight.

Of course, Fabregas was never fit for the crown, so to speak, as he had always dreamed of a return to Barca after beginning his footie career with the Spanish power as a teenager.

Should this week of suffering come to fruition, Wenger and the rest of the Arsenal brain trust will have to get back to the drawing board with some haste to put together a new squad before they're too far mired in another disappointing season in the EPL.