Arsenal

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Arsenal have started their preparations for the new season with some players taking part in an optional training camp in Marbella.

Mikel Arteta spoke towards the end of last season about how the players "demanded" the training camp and that it is "impossible" for a squad to deal with the physical demands of a long season straight from their holidays.

The Gunners have made this trip to Spain before with players doing similar last summer.

The rest of the Arsenal squad are due to meet at the London Colney training ground this week for the official start of pre-season training.

Arsenal have already added Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga this summer and are expected to complete the signing of Christian Norgaard from Brentford next.

Of course, Arsenal have also been searching for a striker and are in talks to sign Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres

The club are embarking on a pre-season tour to Asia this summer with their first friendly scheduled for Wednesday, 23 July against AC Milan.

Chelsea are expecting offers of more than £50m for 23-year-old England forward Noni Madueke, who has agreed personal terms with Arsenal over a move. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Sporting's 27-year-old Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres is prepared to give up about £2m in wages to help push through his £70m move to Arsenal. (Record - in Portuguese), external

Arsenal were linked with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, 22, but the German club's asking price of €100m (£86m) for the Slovenia international put the Gunners off. (Sky Sports Germany), external

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We asked for your views on what the signing of Martin Zubimendi could mean for Arsenal's starting XI.

Here are some of your comments:

Tony: Excellent signing, no doubt about it. A top-class holding midfielder is now a 'must have' for any team that wants to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League.

Dominic: Definitely an upgrade on Jorginho and Thomas Partey and he will give Mikel Arteta a chance to give Declan Rice a rest occasionally too. Superb acquisition.

Ali: Excellent and very astute buy, much coveted by other top European clubs. I strongly believe with this acquisition and adding a proper recognised striker will make all the difference between the routine second place, and the much desired first spot.

Martin: Zubimendi is going to be the number six that most thought Rice would be before Arteta saw him as a number eight. Hopefully he frees Martin Odegaard up as well.

Sam: It's a very good signing and a crucial one as well. He will sit in that six role like he has done so well for Real Sociedad and Spain. This will also continue to make sure Declan Rice is able to help out the attack. Very happy with the signing overall - good business!

Jon: Zubemendi is a classic number six and is more creative than Partey. His destructive role will also release Odegaard and Rice.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

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Martin Zubimendi played 236 times for Real Sociedad - his only club to date - and scored 10 goals.

But he is not a goalscorer, because he is primarily a defensive midfielder.

Real Sociedad played several formations last season, though mostly it was a 4-1-4-1 with Zubimendi as the pivot.

In La Liga in 2024-25, he ranked in the top five of central midfielders for successful passes, successful long passes, progressive passes, touches, tackles, interceptions, aerial duels won and distance of completed upfield passes (8.5km).

"He's not a paragon of technical prowess, nor does he stand out for his vision, his long ball touch, or his ability to link up," said Spanish journalist and Real Sociedad expert Roberto Ramajo, external.

"He delivers in every aspect of a midfielder's game, and he always contributes. And that's what sets him apart, what allows him to excel the way he has at Real Sociedad since he came into the first team.

"Martin has very good tactical ability. He knows how to occupy space on the pitch almost perfectly, and he reads his team's needs very well when it comes to helping his team-mates.

"He has fantastic reading of the game, because he's very intelligent without the ball. I know he's hailed with the ball, but I like him better off it."

Read the full piece here

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Arsenal have signed Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for £60m.

The 26-year-old becomes Mikel Arteta's second acquisition of the summer after the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea.

An academy product at Sociedad, he has also cemented his place in Spain's national team in the last 12 months.

How will he fit in?

What will Arsenal's starting XI look like next season?

Let us know here

Al-Nassr could turn their attention to Arsenal's Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, 24, after struggling to land their top target - Liverpool's Colombian forward Luis Diaz, 28. (GiveMesport), external

Arsenal have lost their under-21s manager, Mehmet Ali, to Brentford. (Football London), external

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Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

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Expectations for exciting new arrivals to north London could not be higher this transfer season. Since finishing second for the third straight year, fans have been demanding significant acquisitions from the club.

As of the start of July, they might be feeling a bit disappointed.

So far, the activity has been sensible and practical. Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea represents suitable competition for David Raya. In a similar vein, Brentford captain Christian Norgaard is rumoured to be joining and his Premier League experience means he will be a solid addition to the squad.

But sensible and practical signings are not what the fans are craving. Fans want multiple, marquee signings. Real Madrid's Rodrygo, with his two Champions League titles, has been discussed as a potential replacement for Gabriel Martinelli. In recent days, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze has shot to the top of wishlists.

But the story of the summer so far is the long-awaited striker, who for many remains the obvious missing piece in Arsenal's squad. Social media debate has raged on links with Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres. This is truly 2025's Jennifer Aniston versus Angelina Jolie, or team blue dress versus team gold dress.

With every day that goes by without concrete updates, the fanbase gets increasingly exasperated and polarised. There has also been no confirmation of the signing of Martin Zubimendi, supposedly confirmed months ago.

In recent years, patience has not been a word associated with Arsenal fans. And unfortunately with two months still to go until the transfer window closes, there is a lot of time left to be debating which superstars could help finally win the title next season.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Arsenal have been encouraged in their £70m pursuit of Brazil forward Rodrygo, who is not guaranteed a starting spot under new Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso. (Mirror), external

Valencia's Spanish defender Cristhian Mosquera, 21, has turned down a lucrative new contract with the La Liga club because he wants to join Arsenal. (Las Provincias - in Spanish), external

Lyon have set a price of at least £51.5m for 20-year-old Malick Fofana with Premier League clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Fulham and Nottingham Forest joining continental sides Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Napoli in the race for the Belgium winger. (Independent), external

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Arsenal are moving closer to a deal for Sporting forward Viktor Gyokeres. The 27-year-old Sweden international has told his club he wants to join the Gunners. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Meanwhile, the Gunners have already submitted an offer to 23-year-old England winger Noni Madueke, who might leave Chelsea in the summer. (Sky Germany), external

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Kepa Arrizabalaga at Chelsea was simply the victim of his £71m price tag.

He was deemed the best possible option when Thibaut Courtois forced his exit from the Blues in 2018.

Chelsea had gone for Alisson but he chose Liverpool with Kepa deemed the next best option, however, Athletic Bilbao forced the Blues to pay his full release clause.

After his wobble early in his Blues career, the Spain international quickly proved not to be worth either the fee or his previous £190,000-a-week wages.

Yet, he was still highly respected behind the scenes and was deemed a top professional, good squad member and a positive character, despite his strange episode in refusing to be substituted in the Carabao Cup final in 2019.

Aside from that uncharacteristic episode, the 30-year-old has been an absolutely top professional at Chelsea and has proven capable of being a number one or number two between the sticks at Premier League level without causing disruptions.

He has always been a good option but not one to command a world record transfer fee for a goalkeeper, which he still holds to this day.

Kepa could be a great asset to Arsenal and should push current starter David Raya hard.

Image source, Getty Images

New Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga says he is "here to win" after completing his move from London rivals Chelsea.

The Gunners met the £5m release clause of the world's most expensive goalkeeper, who moved to the Blues for £71m in 2018, and he joins on a three-year deal.

Kepa fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge in recent seasons and spent the last campaign on loan at Bournemouth, where he made 35 appearances.

The 30-year-old is the latest arrival from west London, with Kai Havertz and Jorginho having made the same move in recent transfer windows, and brings the experience of winning four trophies with Chelsea.

"I'm really, really happy to be here, really excited and looking forward to what is coming," the 30-year-old said.

"We're here to win. I think we have a great team. I think we have great staff around here, the best facilities, so we have to prepare ourselves for this season and to have success.

"When I talk with Mikel [Arteta] and Inaki [Cana], they show me their desire to win. They showed me this ambition, how much they want to improve, how much they want to grow and I'm really here to help, to push and to win more.

"We are so close to winning and, hopefully, altogether, we can achieve it."

His arrival at the Emirates will provide competition for his Spanish compatriot David Raya.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta added: "We are really happy to have Kepa joining us. He is a player we know, having come up against him many times in recent seasons. He brings a wealth of experience, which his team-mates will benefit from, and he has a real hunger to win.

"Kepa works hard and will elevate our levels. I know he will fit in perfectly, already knowing some of his team-mates, and we are really excited about his future with us."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

In England, the clubs not in Club World Cup duty have more time to get their plans together for the new Premier League season.

Like everyone else, I am a little obsessed by the comings and goings, and the transfer speculation - even if I know that a very decent percentage of it is nonsense. Much of it is just stories dreamed up by agents to drum up interest in their clients.

Liverpool got their business done early and Manchester City are also well ahead with their rebuild, so lots of eyes are turning towards Arsenal.

Martin Zubimendi should arrive to steady the midfield and Brentford's Christian Norgaard would be a sensible signing.

If defender Cristhian Mosquera comes in from Valencia and former £78m Kepa Arrizabalaga is grabbed from Chelsea for less than 10% of that original fee, the thinking seems logical.

A bit of balance on the left for Bukayo Saka's danger on the right is why the likes of Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Noni Madueke and even Rodrygo are being touted in the media. Any one of those four would work, so it all looks nearly very good... nearly.

The problem is still the gaping centre-forward-shaped hole that exists in the Arsenal squad. Manchester City have shown in the past that you can win things without an obvious striker, but then Arsenal have shown in recent years that it can also cost you trophies if you do not have one.

Mikel Arteta would get one if he could; Alexander Isak has long been a hope, if a somewhat forlorn one to date.

It is Groundhog Day for Arsenal fans, and they have been stuck in it for years now.

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Arsenal have held talks with representatives of 27-year-old Crystal Palace and England midfielder Eberechi Eze, who has a release clause of £67.5m. (Guardian), external

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