Arsenal are in the process of announcing their first summer signing with the expectation being a further four transfers will follow.
The Gunners want to strengthen in almost every area of the pitch before the 2025/26 season with Mikel Arteta eyeing silverware. Sporting director Andrea Berta has thus initiated contact with multiple targets before the Gunners then make a final decision.
Even prior to Berta’s arrival back in March, one of those was made with significant groundwork undertaken for Martin Zubimendi to join from Real Sociedad. Fellow La Liga club Real Madrid have been strongly linked to hijacking that planned move, but any lingering fear over that has now dissipated.
That is because the 26-year-old was in London to complete the formalities of his switch on Friday with Fabrizio Romano later adding that he also signed his contract.
And with the final green light arriving, the Italian journalist has since stated the Gunners are currently preparing an official statement that confirms his move. While that may be the case, a further delay could arrive with Sociedad requesting the deal not be ratified until July for business accounting purposes.
If Arsenal accept that, the expectation seems to be that plenty of other Arsenal deals will accelerate once Zubimendi is confirmed with Kepa Arrizabalaga joining from Chelsea as one of those.
Arteta has waited several months for the Spanish midfielder’s arrival with it having been known an addition in that area was needed this time last summer as both Jorginho and Thomas Partey were playing into the final year of their contracts. The former was allowed to join Flamengo for the Club World Cup before his deal expired on June 30.
Partey initially looked set to also leave but extension talks started earlier this year with football.london reporting Arteta wanted both Zubimendi and the Ghana international in his squad for the new campaign.
However, it is now looking more likely that he leaves the club as a free agent five years on from joining. A departure will almost definitely result in a direct replacement arriving in addition to a wide forward, striker and defender also joining.
Jorrel Hato, Marc Guehi, Rodrygo, Nico Williams, Rafael Leao, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko have all been mooted with Arteta’s hope being that three of those arrive. Williams being one of those is now hard to imagine as he has agreed personal terms to join his dream club Barcelona.
