Arsenal’s frustrating summer in the transfer market could soon be over as manager Arsène Wenger has confirmed that a double deal for forward Lucas Pérez and the defender Shkodran Mustafi is poised to go through.
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Arsenal are closing in on a combined £52 million deal for La Liga duo Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez.
If the deals are completed as expected, Wenger should be able to call on both players after the global break. “We are not close enough to announce to you today that they will sign for us”.
The pair are set to cost Arsenal around £52m – taking the club’s summer spending to nearly £100m – and Wenger says he expects no more transfers before Wednesday’s deadline. I’m 99 per cent confident.
Should both players complete their transfers, Arsenal’s spending for the close season will be close to 100 million pounds.
They signed Granit Xhaka for £32m from Borussia Monchengladbach and Rob Holding from Bolton for £2.5m.
Unfortunately for Piers, and other hopeful Arsenal fans, the 2010 World Cup victor insisted he is unlikely to move to north London in the near future, but agreed that Wenger must loosen the purse strings and invest in a reliable defender.
“I have to make the right decision, knowing that it is not easy”.
“I think he has good linkup qualities, good quality of receptions, good finishing qualities”, Wenger said about the Spaniard ahead of the Watford game.
“It looks like it will be frenetic until last few days. I expect the next few days to be very busy, so be on alert”.
“Ludogorets we do not know a lot about them”.
Mustafi is a 24-year-old Germany center back and his arrival would solve an injury crisis, with Gabriel Paulista and Per Mertesacker now sidelined with long-term problems. Asked if Chambers’s Arsenal future could be affected by Mustafi’s arrival, Wenger replied: “Future? No”.
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Meanwhile Wenger’s growing frustration surrounding the lack of summer signings, or at least the questioning on the matter, was clear for all to see on Saturday following Arsenal’s goalless draw away at Leicester City.
