Is Steven Gunner go?

If I had a pound for every time the Steven-Taylor-to-Arsenal story cropped up, I'd be a moderately wealthy man. The latest paper to run with it is the Mirror, which claims a £5m bid is imminent from a desperate Arsene Wenger whose central defence may vanish over the summer. What is new, though (or at least to me), are the suggestions that Chelsea, Villa and Everton might also be keen to test our resolve.

I'd be disappointed to see Taylor go (particularly in view of the hierarchy's recent comments about unearthing, developing and holding onto local talent) but given that he's yet to agree a new contract, a move certainly isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Of course it's questionable at very least whether we'd be able to find a suitable replacement for that sort of money - but that might yet be another issue Chris Hughton finds he has to contend with.

In other news, January transfer target Jermaine Beckford has wasted no time since his Leeds contract was torn up, deciding to leap into bed with David Moyes at Everton. Good luck to him if he thinks he's likely to get first-team football at Goodison Park. Beckford might have been able to do a job for us or another lesser top flight side - though most of the Leeds fans we had on here earlier in the year were keen to suggest that he's far from the player he's been cracked up to be.

A rather more surprising move might see Craig Bellamy swap Man City for his hometown club Cardiff - though it's difficult to see how the Welsh side's precarious finances would allow for that unless the new owners are prepared to pump in some serious cash. I wonder whether our former striker just has one eye on the capital's nightlife, of which he's so fond...