Arsenal fans have been crying out for a defensive midfield signing for many years.

It’s been so long, in fact, that you have to start asking yourself the question – if Arsene Wenger really wanted to sign one, wouldn’t he have done so by now?

Sure, there were the years that he hoped Abou Diaby would be fit and then there were the other ones when he used Mikel Arteta who did a more than admirable job, but there was no destroyer in the team, no one player that just sat and stopped.

And then we brought Francis Coquelin back from his loan spell at Charlton.

Excelling since his arrival back at the club in a way that has surprised absolutely everyone watching, Coquelin has made that starting shirt and position his own. Now, speaking at a Barclay’s event, Wenger has been hailing the Frenchman and in one line at the end of his comments, may have let slip his intentions for the summer.

“He’s [Coquelin] a good example but the other good example is that he arrived at 17 and has finally made it at 24. It’s unbelievable how patient and open-minded you have to be.”

He’s ‘finally made it’ – what does that mean to you?

To me it means made it to the top level and a regular spot in a top side. If that’s Wenger’s thinking, and he’s already got Mikel Arteta who looks like he’s about to sign a new one-year extension to his contract, why would he buy someone else?

Let’s not forget, we also purchased Krystian Bielik, who was starting games back in Poland, and has been told he will be guided to the Arsenal first team in the next few seasons. Where is Arsene putting this other defensive midfielder?

I wouldn’t have been surprised if he didn’t buy one before these comments, I’d be absolutely flabbergasted if he did after them.

Then again, it wouldn’t be the first time the Arsenal manager has left me that way.