Our football writers run the rule over the possible ins and outs for the final day of the January transfer window

Arsenal

What they wanted Cover up front and at left-back. The squad’s reliance on Robin van Persie is well documented and neither of his deputies, Park Chu-young and Marouane Chamakh,, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, has so far shown himself to be capable. Due to injuries, Arsene Wenger has not named a recognised full-back in his starting line-up since 6 December.

What they got Thierry Henry on loan from the NY Red Bulls until 16 February, with an option for him to stay until 26 February, which the Red Bulls hold. It has been emotional to see Henry back in the shirt and the first of his three substitute appearances to date saw him score the winner against Leeds in the FA Cup

D-Day moves? Anyone hoping for a big-name buy, and that includes many of the players, should be braced for disappointment. David Hytner

Ins Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls, loan); Thomas Eisfeld (B

Today’s grist told you so

When considering Rafael Benítez’s reign at Anfield it is important to remember that it began just after the demise of Brookside. There were a lot of angry, unemployed scriptwriters knocking about Liverpool, some of whom, it seems, finagled their way into positions of influence at one of the local football clubs. After experimenting with Hollywoodian plot devices early on, notably in the far-fetched Istanbul episode, the disgruntled dramatists returned to more gritty themes – thus a burglary epidemic afflicted the squad, the captain endured a tense trial before being acquitted of assault and two other players had a boozy tiff involving a misused golf club.

Eager not to make it too obvious that the club is really being run by soap operatists, the surreptitious puppet-masters have so far stopped short of reprising their most famous scene by staging impassioned pre-watershed on-pitch hanky-panky between, say, Benítez and Dirk Kuyt. But reports today suggest the storymakers are about to give their presence away – by arranging for Benítez, who is already at odds with disenfranchised players, dissident fans and distinctly clueless owners, to attempt to make his life more comfortable by making a summer transfer bid for … Raul Madrid player-manager Raúl!

Meanwhile, docked winger Albert Riera, whom scriptwriters had Benítez buy for £8m and then ignore as per assorted previous storylines, will remain on set as a lippy extra, supposedly because he could not agree wages with would-be Russian employers.

Wages will be the least of Steven Pienaar’s worries this summer, when he will be the subject of extravagant offers from both Chelsea and Manchester City. The same clubs, and Manchester United, will also woo Piennar’s young team-mate Jack Rodwell. David Moyes has already begun scouting for canny replacements, and so far the apple of his eye is Monaco’s left-sided midfield Nene.

Chelsea will make way for those and other arrivals by getting shot of Deco (to Fluminese), John Obi Mikel (to Aston Villa or Juventus), Joe Cole (to Spurs) and Salomon Kalou (Wolves).

Arsène Wenger has still not recovered the files named centrebacks.doc and goalkeepers.doc so will make do with a striker in the form, and indeed the person, of Catania’s Japanese international Takayuki Morimoto.

Sentimental Sam Allardyce is to give Portsmouth £2m for Aruna Dindane and let him stay at the ailing club for their fairytale FA Cup semi-final appearance.

Finally, Newcastle are already preparing for life back in the Premier League – or are they? They’re preparing a bid for Mikaël Silvestre.

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