The transfer window closed and you thought the nonsense was over, didn’t you?

Are you new?

Once the window shuts, all that happens is people go away and think of whatever bull they can come up with ahead of it opening again in January.

That’s how we end up with reports such as the one I have in front of me right now claiming that Arsenal are going to try and tempt Real Madrid into selling Karim Benzema by offering him €40m next summer.

That and agents playing silly buggers.

First up – how does the writer of this report, Mr Hector Andreu, writing for Fichajes, know what Arsenal’s intentions are for next summer?

Secondly, how does he know how much Arsenal would be willing to pay?

Thirdly, no.

Just no.

Real Madrid will not sell Benzema.

Actually, that’s not true, every player has a price at which no club can say no, but it’s not €40m.

Besides, Zinedine Zidane is a massive fan of his compatriot and Benzema has no desire to leave the Bernabeu.

Benzema’s contract runs until 2019 and Real Madrid have been unwilling to even listen to offers for him up until this point.

With a throwaway line in the Spanish article mentioning that Benzema’s agent is hopeful of sitting down to agree a new deal, you suddenly get a far clearer picture of the origin of this story and its intention.

It has not been written to fool Arsenal fans into thinking that this man knows anything about the club and their transfer dealings.

Nope. It is merely contract negotiation fodder.

If no new deal is agreed before January, watch this rumour fly.

If you’re wise, you’ll let it fly right past you.