Don’t forget to check out Online Football Manager!

Claude Makalele has left the Premier League, although his legacy will live on for seasons to come in England. The former Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielder has pretty much given his name to a new position – ‘The Makalele’ – where a player will sit in front of the defence and break down opposition attacks, before feeding the ball to his team-mates. It appears that Arsenal are looking for someone in this mould to help protect Toure and Co next season.

The Daily Mail reports that Arsene Wenger is in the hunt for a midfield play-breaker, who can win back possession for the Gunners and let Fabregas, Nasri and Van Persie do some damage. It’s hardly surprising that they are short in the middle of the park, with Flamini, Diarra and Gilberto no longer around. In Wenger we trust?

Wenger, who has been linked with Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry, said: ‘We need one more body in there. If we find a reasonable target we will get him. There is no special name.’

Wenger is also planning to send scouts to the Olympics to watch Juventus midfielders Claudio Marchisio, 22, and Sebastian Giovinco, 21.

Indeed, the Arsenal manager is likely to pick up an unknown player on the cheap and mould him into a gem as per the norm. He’s done it so many times before, although should Arsenal fans be a touch concerned that they’re threadbare in midfield right now? Their main rivals have got stacks of players to fill this role, with the Gunners still short with only weeks until the season starts.