As the links with Arsenal refuse to die down, Skhodran Mustafi continues to train away from the senior team as he recovers from a ‘hamstring’ problem that rules him out of their friendly against an all-star Nigerian league team on Wednesday.

Of course, conspiracy theories abound with some thinking he’s not injured at all and merely being punished for wanting to leave.

As for the player himself, he didn’t rule out a move to Arsenal when we asked him about it when he was in England recently, opting instead to say, simply, “It’s difficult.”

AC Milan, who had reportedly put in a bid for him have now, reportedly, withdrawn it as they won’t have the finances until December due to their takeover by a Chinese Investment group.

Chelsea, who were also linked, are now said to have their eyes on the Senegalese centreback, Kalidou Koulibaly, instead.

The Ornacle tweeted on Tuesday that Arsenal are ‘stepping up’ their pursuit of the German defender:

And we all know, if the Ornacle says it, it must be true.

Mostly.