Arsenal manager has confirmed the signing of 24 year old German
central defender Shkodran Mustafi and 27 year old Spanish striker,
Lucas Perez. Both players have passed their medicals with paper works
left to be sorted before it would be announced.
Arsene Wenger confirmed the signings during his post match press
conference after Arsenal's 3-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road in
week three of the new season.
"We have bought two players, Mustafi and Perez. We had to work very
hard to get signings done," he said.
"We have no plans for anyone else now
Both signings are for a combined fee of £52m with Mustafi at £35m and
Lucas Perez at £17m.
The 6ft Shkodran Mustafi arrives from Valencia with a reputation as a
German international with 12 caps, and he was part of the German squad
that won the World Cup in Brazil and played twice at Euro 2016,
scoring Germany's first goal against Ukraine in the group stages and
coming on as a substitute against France in the semis for Jerome
Boateng.
He is not new to the Premier League having spent three years with
Everton without making a senior appearance before leaving for
Sampdoria in Italy.
Lucas Perez has been described as a late blossomer in the mode of
Jamie Vardy, after his standout season last season. Where he scored 17
league goals for Deportivo la Carouna in the Spanish la liga.
The 5ft 11' striker has had something akin to a nomadic career having
had spells playing in Greece and Ukraine.
He is a different kind of striker from Oliver Giroud, though left
footed, he is a pacy forward, who developed from playing more from the
wings before he blossomed as a striker last season.
A tireless player, who delights in putting defenders on the back foot
with his running, which should make him a different foil up front for
Arsene Wenger.
The signing of both players brings to six the number of signings
Arsenal have made this summer. With Granit Xhaka, Takuma Asano, Rob
Holding and Kelechi Nwakali being the others.
Already, Japanese striker Takuna Asano has been sent on a season long
loan to German second divison side Stutggart.
With a squad that is huge on numbers in spite of the long term
injuries to Gabriel, Per Mertesacker and Danny Welbeck as well as the
short term cases of Aaron Ramsey and Alex Iwobi, some players in the
Arsenal squad could be heading out on loan before the transfer window
closes next Wednesday.
Calum Chambers has been linked with a loan move, while it remains to
be seen whether Chuba Akpom will be kept in the squad for the first
half of the season.
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