Arsenal in Wikipedia tug-of-war with Tring Athletic for Yoann Gourcuff

Milan, Bordeaux, Lyon, Tring. No it’s not the return of an 18th century Grand Tour. But it might just be the career trajectory of Yoann Gourcuff.

The French midfielder appeared to have made a shock move to the Hertfordshire market town, whose Tring Athletic side play in the Molten Spartan South Midlands Football League, earlier this morning. At least according to his Wikipedia page.

Injury-plagued Gourcuff, who was identified as the next Zinedine Zidane early in his career, has been linked with Arsenal for several years and has even emerged as a transfer target for Watford since being released by Lyon.

Even with his history of fitness issues, including picking up an injury whilst out walking his dog, surely the France international would have been too much class and creativity for the defences of Sun Postal Sport, Oxhey Jets and Biggleswaddle United?

In spite of the implausibility of the move Athletic seemed keen, with club chairman Mick Eldridge releasing a tongue-in-cheek statement in which he claimed to have “blown the season budget by offering a bottle of Sidepocket & two bags of Cheese & Onion crisps to the attacking midfielder!”

With the 29-year-old understood to have been earning £70,000 per week at Stade Gerland this move seems to be a non-starter, perhaps explaining why Gourcuff’s page now shows him as an Arsenal player.

Did Arsene Wenger blow Tring out of the water with the offer of three bags of Cheese & Onion crisps? Or is this all the work of mischievous trolls? We await with baited breath.