Arsenal have been targeted by fans for a rather successful prank, and Tottenham supporters had nothing to do with it.
With rumours that Arsenal were preparing a record-breaking bid for Boca Juniors striker Rodrigo Palaciao hitting the papers the past few days, it appears now that the whole thing was just some kind of prank played by fans of the Argentinian club – no doubt fueled by some kind of Falklands-related bitterness.
The story was started on a blog, and then spread to forums, eventually making its way to the mainstream press with the likes of the The Independent and proving once and for all that the Premiership rumour mill really is one big cyclical process. If you were keeping track of this one – blogs and forums picked up the story, the press published it, and then the blogs and forums published that.
Of course, COS was never convinced and gave the rumour a firm 9/10 on our ‘Crap-o-meter‘.
We half feel sorry for Arsenal fans for being targeted by such a prank, but its really no different to the other nonsense that the rest of the Premiership also has to put up with. Plus, they can be happy that they aren’t going to be relying on another striker that none of them have ever heard of.
[Update: Seems the site was created by a Gooner]