Arsenal snap up Spanish defender on deadline day

Arsenal have completed the signing of Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal from La Liga side Malaga.

26-year-old Monreal was initially to be targeted by the Gunners only in the summer, but an injury to England international Kieran Gibbs has seen it brought forward to this month.

A fee of around £8.5 million was stumped up by Arsenal for the player, but Arsene Wenger will not be able to use his new signing in the UEFA Champions League, with the former Osasuna man having already featured in the competition for Malaga this season.

Monreal joined Malaga in 2011, soon after the takeover of the club by the Qatar Investment Authority, and was a constant figure in Manuel Pellegrini’s starting XI as the Andalucian club secured Champions League football for the first time in its history, featuring 36 times in all competitions and a further 23 times this year.

However, a severe withdrawal in funding from the Qatari royal family, who own the Investment Authority, has seen the Spanish side offload several players as they attempt to balance the books. They have already signed a replacement in Portuguese Vitorino Antunes.

The deal between Arsenal and Monreal was apparently slated for the summer, with both parties already agreeing to the same. In anticipation of the move, Monreal had been learning English over the past year. It has also come to light that his former team-mate, Santi Cazorla, was instrumental in bringing the nine time capped international to London.