Next Arsenal signing after Martin Zubimendi named

Arsenal will quickly wrap up signing number two to follow Martin Zubimendi into The Emirates, while there’s also a change of stance in their striker hunt.

Unlike title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, Arsenal are yet to announce their first signing of the summer. City and Liverpool have both splashed the cash on multiple new recruits. But while Arsenal are lagging behind, announcements are on the way.

Martin Zubimendi recently travelled to London to finalise his long-awaited switch to Arsenal.

The club have agreed to pay €65m – slightly more than the player’s €60m release clause – in order to secure more favourable payment terms.

Many Arsenal fans will hope a potent new striker is next through the front doors at The Emirates. But according to The Athletic it’s the opposite end of the pitch where they should look.

Their report read: ‘Aside from the announcement of Zubimendi, Arsenal’s next significant arrival is likely to be goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

‘The 30-year-old Spain international is expected at London Colney this week to tie up his £5m move from Chelsea.’

Arsenal have agreed to trigger Kepa’s lowly £5m release clause and the Spaniard will serve as back-up to fellow countryman, David Raya.

Kepa shone during a loan spell with Bournemouth last term and as far as deputies go, will be among the very best in the league. Perhaps only Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili can be considered a more able number two.

Kepa will take the place of Neto on Arsenal’s bench who after a year-long loan, has returned to parent club Bournemouth where ironically, he may now start in place of Kepa.

What about the striker situation?

Arsenal had narrowed their striker search down to two – Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres.

Of that pair, it’s Sesko who Arsenal decided to ramp up a deal for, though TEAMtalk has learned high salary demands have put the transfer on ice.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, has been informed Arsenal are reluctant to meet the Leipzig striker’s wage requests. As such, we understand the chances of Arsenal shifting focus to Gyokeres and going all out for the Swede have soared.

That comes at a time when Fabrizio Romano revealed Gyokeres has informed Sporting CP he will never play for the club again.

Gyokeres is dismayed at the club reneging on a verbal pact made between he, his agent and Sporting’s former director, Hugo Viana.

Viana is no longer in Lisbon after accepting a role at Manchester City. With Viana out of the picture, Sporting are not honouring the verbal pact which stipulated Gyokeres could leave for a fee in the €65m-€70m range.

Instead, Sporting are holding out for a higher sum for a frontman who has notched 97 goals in 102 appearances over the last two seasons.

Aged 27 compared to Sesko at 22 and boasting English experience – albeit primarily in the Championship – Gyokeres is viewed as more of a sure thing by key Arsenal decision-makers.

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