Reports in Germany are linking Arsenal with a January move for Italian striker Toni, who has fallen out of favour at Bayern Munich. Bayern president Uli Hoeness told DSF DOPPELPASS: If necessary, we will require no transfer fee. We want to have peace on

Reports in Germany are linking Arsenal with a January move for Italian striker Toni, who has fallen out of favour at Bayern Munich.

Bayern president Uli Hoeness told DSF DOPPELPASS: "If necessary, we will require no transfer fee. We want to have peace on this issue.

"We still have no concrete offer, although we are willing to lend him on a free transfer or free."

Meanwhile, Nick Hornby continues to lament modern Arsenal.

When asked if he'd met any of the current squad, the Fever Pitch author told ESQUIRE "No, I've met most of the old lot. I don't think I've met any of this bunch.

"It's funny, you go in the chip shop on Blackstock Road and there are pictures on the walls of players holding fish and chips in the shop.

"I've seen Ian Wright in the Canonbury Arms, six o'clock on a Saturday. Then 1996 when Arsene (Wenger) comes along those chip shop pictures just stop."

Ray Parlour was his usual entertaining self on SOCCER AM.

Last weekend he revealed why he liked playing under Arsene Wenger so much.

"He played me every week, but he told me off a few times," he said.

"I scored in the 2002 cup final and on the way home I went to the back of the plane to have a couple of drinks with my family, when all of a sudden he has walked down the aisle and said 'no drinking'.

"I said I had just scored in a cup final and it would never happen again and he said 'I know - but no drinking'.

"I had 12 pints of Guinness the next day and the following Wednesday was made man of the man of the match at Man Utd.

"After the game he said I was magnificent. 'It must have been that glass of champagne, Ray!'" he cackled.

And to finish, Paul Merson is not in a particularly festive mood in his column in the OFFICIAL ARSENAL MAGAZINE.

"I never liked playing at Christmas ... when I was made manager of Walsall one of the first rules I made was not to train on Christmas Day - it was a pointless exercise

"And anyway, if you analyse a good Christmas blow out it's all good for a footballer. You've got lean white meat and tons of vegetables - perfect food for an athlete.