Does my APR look big in this?

So Papiss Cisse is allegedly refusing to wear a Wonga-branded shirt on religious grounds? It's not exactly news - the potential issue was raised back in October, when the deal was first inked - and at the time we did wonder how wearing the Virgin Money logo was any different. But the fact that the issue hasn't been resolved is a worry, given that Cisse, erratic though he was for large parts of last season, is our go-to man for goals and currently the only player in the squad you'd definitely to muster double figures. A solution is needed - and that solution isn't to flog him to either Anzhi Makhachkala or Borussia Dortmund.

This all comes as a distraction when we should be looking at bolstering our forward options. Wigan's Arouna Kone reportedly has a £6.5m release clause while there's talk of Demba Ba being made surplus to requirements at Chelsea by returning manager Jose Mourinho. However, the former is the subject of serious interest from both red and blue halves of Merseyside, Ba proved somewhat incompatible with Cisse in his previous spell on Tyneside and both are, like Cisse, practising Muslims so would presumably also have a problem with our new sponsor...