Arsenal have won the race to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, beating the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool to the Spain midfielder.
According to Mail Sport the Gunners have virtually agreed a £51 million deal, but the 25-year-old will remain with his current club until the summer.
Arsenal had wanted to bring forward the player’s arrival, but Sociedad want to keep one of their most influential players until the end of the season.
The Gunners have already recruited two of Zubimendi’s former teammates in the shape of Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino, while they also hope to sign Alexander Isak in the close season who spent three years at the Basque club.
Arsenal are currently without a sporting direct following the sudden departure of Edu in November, but have been linked with Sociedad’s Roberto Olabe.
Zubimendi came close to joining Liverpool last summer but had a late change of heart and opted to remain at his boyhood club.
More recently, City have emerged as genuine candidates to sign a player who was a mainstay in the side that won Euro 2024.
Pep Guardiola is keen to rebuild his midfield following his own decision to sing a new two-year contract but the Premier League champions will now have to look elsewhere.
Planning for the summer, however, is unlikely to appease a fanbase who are growing increasingly desperate for attacking reinforcements in what remains of the summer window.
Arsenal’s apparent need for a new forward has been exacerbated by the news that Gabriel Jesus has suffered a serious knee injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow night’s north London derby, Mikel Arteta did reveal that his club are active in the market and will act if they find the right opportunity.
He said: ‘My answer doesn’t change, it remains the same – we are actively looking in the market to improve the squad, and that’s been the same since day one.
‘It would be naive not to do that because it is always an opportunity to evolve the team and improve the squad, especially with the circumstances. So yes, we are looking and we are trying and let’s see what we are able to do.
‘When you have to recruit a player, there are three parties and you have to agree to that. We have our limitations like any other club, so we can do what we can do.
‘We plan our squad and we have our limits to do what we want to do, and that’s it. So the fact that I love our players a lot doesn’t mean we’re doing nothing about improving – I am not that stubborn.
‘We all want the same, so we use every opportunity to improve the squad daily, and when the market comes in and we can do that too, we’ll make sure that we have the best resources and the best capacities to compete in the manner we want.’