Arsenal sign midfielders Mikel Arteta and Yossi Benayoun
- Published
Arsenal have signed Everton's Mikel Arteta for £10m after the Spanish midfielder submitted a transfer request to force through the move.
Arteta, 29, joined the Gunners on a four-year contract just before the transfer window closed.
The deal had looked dead earlier after talks between the two clubs broke down but Arteta handed in the transfer request an hour before the deadline.
Arsenal also signed Chelsea's Yossi Benayoun, 31, on a season-long loan.
"Mikel indicated to me that he wished to join Arsenal if a bid came in," said Everton manager David Moyes.
"I am very disappointed to lose him but the prospect of Champions League football was something I wasn't able to offer him."
According to BBC sports news correspondent Dan Roan, there is anger behind the scenes at Goodison because Arteta left his announcement so late that there was no time to re-invest the money.
Roan added: "Arsenal offered £5m on Tuesday and offered £10m on Wednesday afternoon - both bids were rejected. Any deal was dead until around 1900 BST, when Arteta told Moyes he wished to leave.
"Moyes spoke to the chairman, Bill Kenwright, and said he did not want to keep a player who did not wish to play for Everton.
"Arteta was Everton's highest-paid player ever on around £75,000 a week and took a big pay cut to join Arsenal."
Arteta joined Everton from Real Socieded for £2m in 2005 and has scored 35 goals in 208 appearances.
He started his career with Barcelona before spells with Paris Saint-Germain FC and Rangers.
The Spaniard suffered a knee ligament injury in February 2009 and was sidelined for almost 12 months before signing a new five-year deal in August 2010.
Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told BBC Sport that both Arteta and Benayoun were "solid signings".
But when asked if they would be adequate replacements for the departed Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, Keown added: "No they're not, it's very hard to replace those players.
"I think back to the [Dennis] Bergkamp era, the impetus those players brought. Arteta is a great passer, Benayoun is not getting into Chelsea team. It's a mixed bag for Arsenal fans."
Benayoun, the Israel captain, wrote on social networking site Twitter, external: "I sign with Arsenal, very happy and excited about it, but now my head is only in the game against grecce on Friday, thanks for the support."
Both clubs later confirmed the move had gone through.
Chelsea offered Liverpool £8m plus Benayoun for Reds midfielder Raul Meireles on Tuesday, but that deal was rejected.
He joined Blues from Liverpool for £5m in July 2010 but was restricted to 10 appearances last season because of an Achilles injury and has seen only one minute of action this time round.
It had been rumoured Benayoun would be included in an offer from Chelsea for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric.
Newcastle had also been linked with the Israeli.
Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner completed a move away from Emirates Stadium just before the window closed, joining Sunderland on a season-long loan.
- Published1 September 2011
- Published30 August 2011