'Arsenal expect Fabregas and Nasri to quit'

With left-back Gael Clichy expected to complete his £7m move to Manchester City in the next twenty-four hours, the Gunners could be considered close to implosion as a queue of high-profile players builds up at the Emirates' departure lounge.
Though Fabregas and Nasri are both due to return to North London this Monday, their appearances could be fleeting. The Spaniard is set to undergo fitness tests to determine whether he can start pre-season training on Tuesday as the Gunners continue to play hardball in talks with Barcelona, while the Frenchman due to meet Arsene Wenger for last-ditch showdown talks on his future. However, the player is reputedly determined to quit the club and move to Manchester in order to join either United or City.
The Daily Mirror claims 'there is a growing feeling that Arsenal will sell Nasri - with both Manchester clubs keen - rather than let him run down his contract', while Nasri's comments to a French magazine over the weekend, in which he stressed his desire for trophies rather than money, have only fuelled the expectation that he will leave Arsenal before the season starts.
As for Fabregas, his long-anticipated return to Barcelona should finally be completed in the coming days.
'Fábregas, who has been on holiday in Spain, will return with the bulk of the senior squad on Tuesday, with Barcelona still attempting to complete what they hope will be a £35m transfer back to the club,' reports The Guardian. 'A bid of around £27m was rejected earlier in the summer but having received an improved offer last week, there is an acceptance at Arsenal that the long-running saga of their captain's future is nearing a conclusion.
'The player himself was quoted last week as being "calm and optimistic" about his future. While the 24-year-old privately anticipates that he will be granted his wish to join the Catalan club where he started his career, he is not expected to risk his reputation at Arsenal by refusing to report back for training and will instead hope resolution is reached in negotiations before the Gunners depart for a mini-tour of Malaysia and China a week on Sunday.'
For Arsenal supporters, braced for a 6.5% increase in the cost of season tickets, one crumb of comfort is the thought that the club's coffers, already thought to hold £40m for transfers, will soon be swelled by an additional £70m. However, as The Independent points out, 'Arsenal are well aware that they are likely to be quoted inflated prices for players if they sell Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri in quick succession, meaning they would ideally like to reinforce their squad before losing players.'
The anger that is bound to be sparked by the departures of Nasri and Fabregas will hardly be quelled if, as announced by The Daily Mirror, Wenger opts to respond by launching a bid for Kevin Doyle, a striker who has scored 14 goals in 59 appearances since Wolves' return to the top-flight. There will also be widespread bafflement if Arsenal sanction the departures of three established first-teamers in Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri whilst retaining the raft of deadwood in their bloated squad. Hitherto, the Gunners have failed to offload any of the likes of Manuel Almunia, Sebastien Squillaci, Denilson, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky, Carlos Vela and Nicklas Bendtner.
Arsene, it's over to you.