Premier League giants Arsenal are close to announcing the deals for Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez, with manager Arsene Wenger confirming that they have all but signed for Arsenal. The German centre-back from Valencia and the Spanish striker from Deportivo la Coruna underwent succesful medicals today, with the final confirmation expected to be announced later.
Speaking after Arsenal’s relatively comfortable 3-1 win over Watford, Wenger was refreshingly candid when talking about his transfer targets. The Frenchman confirmed the signings, saying “We have bought two players, Mustafi and Perez. Now we can integrate them into the squad. We have to finish the paperwork. It looks as though it will be announced at the beginning of the week.”
Also Read : 5 things to know about Arsenal target Shkodran Mustafi
Wenger also went on to note that the transfers were rather hard to get across the line and that it represented the final bit of Arsenal’s transfer business, saying “We had to work very hard to get signings done. We have not got any plans for anyone else now.”
The pair are expected to sign long deals, with Mustafi reportedly signing for £35 million on a 5-year-contract, while Lucas Perez’s £17 million fee could bring Arsenal’s total transfer spending close to £100 million.
The mini-crisis surrounding Arsenal has passed
The Gunners endured a rather difficult start to the season, with an opening 3-4 loss to Liverpool at home followed by an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Leicester. Coupled with the lack of signings in the transfer market, there was an air of revolt amongst Arsenal supporters, with the claims for Wenger to resign reaching fever pitch.
However, the confirmation of these two signings coupled with a confident victory tonight has eased the pressure. It does remain to be seen how Mustafi and Perez fit into the Premier League, with the German centre-back considered highly promising in his homeland.
Lucas Perez, however, arrives with some doubts due to his age, although managing to score 17 goals for notoriously un-creative Deportivo in La Liga represents a striker of good ability.
Also Read : 5 things to know about Arsenal target Lucas Perez
Arsenal stars Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil all scored for Arsenal, with Wenger particularly pleased with the German’s contribution, saying “"We don't just want Mesut to give assists - we want him to score too, so I'm very happy.”
