Arsenal Transfer Rumours: Is Everton's Mikel Arteta Being Used as a Smokescreen?

With Mikel Arteta's proposed transfer now seemingly on the brink of falling through, questions are being raised over whether Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger is serious at all about bringing a midfield playmaker into his new look team.

Having already signed and secured two defensive recruits—German international Per Mertesacker and Andre Santos—and in the process strengthened an area of the team that was crying out for established additions, but the Gunners now lack a midfield playmaker.

Both Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, two midfielder worthy of playing the creative role in the team's midfield, have parted ways with the club, so a replacement is both expected and necessary.

Mikel Arteta is one player that has been tipped to fill The Gunner's midfield void.

The Spaniard is known for his excellent ball distribution ability as well as his tendency to provide cutting assists and through balls. His creative talent has been recognized and acknowledged by viewers of the English league world over.

It is strange that Arsene Wenger, a manager who received a hefty transfer-funds boost from the sales of playmaker duo Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, would not be able to fund the transfer of an arguably less talented midfielder from Everton, a club in massive amounts of debt.

It is well known that Arsenal's ex-captain, Cesc Fabregas, was bound to complete his transfer to boyhood club Barcelona sometime in the near future. Therefore, it is not illogical to think that Arsene Wenger already had a long list of potential replacements lined up—one of them possibly being Arteta.

However, it would be illogical to think that a manager known for keeping his transfer plans under wraps so as to fend off interest from any other potential suitors, would then only be interested in a 29-year-old playmaker with ongoing injury concerns and signal him out as the team's sole midfield target.

Rumours have also erupted reporting that the Arsenal manager is currently in France—a journey seen by many as one taken to try and land one of his long-term replacements in Yann M'villa, Eden Hazard and Marvin Martin.

Given the fact that Arsenal's transfer business is usually done with extreme discreetness, coupled with the fact that Wenger now has a rather large transfer kitty to play with, it could be quite possible that Arsenal's interest in Everton's Mikel Arteta is nothing more than a smokescreen for a completely different midfield option.

Perhaps Arsenal's reported swiftness in withdrawing from negotiations means the Gunners have been successful in capturing another midfield target.

All this though remains to be seen. Within the next hour or so all will be clear and Wenger will have to make do with the additions he has made thus far.