As Lukas Podolski said his goodbyes and went off to tweet in Turkish, many Arsenal fans started talking about how this all clearly means tha...
The German's departure frees up not only a space in the squad but the number nine shirt – so who will we get to see in it next season?
Conspiracies abounded, but if you stopped for a minute and looked at it logically, the availability of the nine shirt means little. If Podolski's agent is to be believed, Arsene Wenger wanted to keep his client at the club to provide back up and support from the bench. If that's true then it would hardly point to a manager who is looking to use the promise of wearing number nine to lure in a top striker.
Podolski wasn't happy with that idea, who can blame him when he can be a starter for a club like Galatasaray rather than a sub for Arsenal, but that also shows the space in the squad that has to be filled – back up, not main man.
In Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott, Arsenal have four brilliant striking options and it would take something truly unexpected to happen for another big name to arrive. Karim Benzema for a packet of peanuts, perhaps.
There are, of course, options out there but they're expensive. Napoli want over £60million for Gonzalo Higuain, who probably knocked £20m off that tag with his display for Argentina in the Copa America final on Saturday night, but £40m is still a lot of money for a player who has shown time and time again that he struggles in the big games.
If Arsenal do bring in a forward, and at this point that's a very big if, it will be a squad player, not a marquee one.
Don't let the conspiracy theories get to you, there's enough silliness around at this time of the year.
