Best Arsenal XI with Martin Zubimendi transfer complete, Viktor Gyokeres 'next' and Rodrygo twist

Arsenal have completed the long-awaited transfer of Martin Zubimendi with the midfielder officially signed from Real Sociedad.

It is a deal that has been in the pipeline for many months with the Gunners determined to land their top midfield target. As football.london had previously reported, they were met with late competition from Real Madrid.

But Zubimendi's move to North London was so far along that it would have to have been a shock collapse of the deal.

READ MORE: Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal transfer twist after £69m breakthrough as Benjamin Sesko truth clear

READ MORE: When Viktor Gyokeres will make Arsenal debut after transfer breakthrough

The 26-year-old has signed a five-year contract upon making the move, which has cost Arsenal more than his £51m release clause in order to pay the fee in instalments as opposed to one lump sum up front.

"Once I made the decision to leave, I set my sights on Arsenal because I think their style of play is a good fit for me," he told the club website.

"It’s a young, highly motivated and ambitious team. They have shown their potential recently, and I believe the best is yet to come. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are. Andrea [Berta] and Mikel [Arteta] took excellent care of me, leaving me with no doubts whatsoever.

"This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for; one I wanted to make. Of course, it's a big change, but I'm ready to get started."

With fellow defensive midfielders Jorginho and Thomas Partey already allowed to move on over the summer, it can hardly be argued that Zubimendi now slots perfectly into Arteta's team, playing in the 4-3-3 formation. That is even with the club next attempting to wrap up the £10m signing of Brentford's Christian Norgaard as competition.

This £55m spent also begs the question of how far the Gunners are willing to go to enhance their squad for another shot at Premier League glory.

By all standards, Arsenal should be pleased with their cover at the back. Nothing less would be expected when Arteta has spent £292m on defenders and goalkeepers combined.

David Raya, winner of back-to-back Premier League golden gloves, has new competition from £5m signing Kepa Arrizabalaga but won't automatically concede his place by any stretch. In front of him sit the tried and trusted quartet of Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba and Myles Lewis-Skelly.

No need to fix the part of the team that is not broken.

As mentioned, Zubimendi takes up the defensive midfield role linking those aforementioned players with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

So that leaves the attack, the most fascinating element of Arteta's team looking into next season.

Changes are required if this Arsenal team is the be successful as last term the injuries dealt to the attackers, accompanied with the lasting effects these had once specific players had returned, dulled the cutting edge of a team that had scored 88 goals in 2022/23 and 91 goals in 2023/24. The return last season was just 69...

Top of the list is a striker and it seems the winning candidate will be between Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres. The latter is an absolute goalscoring machine and that is exactly the cure to last season's sickness.

Both have their pros and cons, the age profile of Gyokeres midway into his so-called prime and Sesko with room to develop being perhaps the most debated facet. That and the fact the Sweden international has scored his 97 goals in two seasons in what may be considered a lesser league to others in Europe.

But that is forgetting Gyokeres' English upbrining, playing for Brighton, Swansea City and Coventry City, where his most successul spell was in this country. Portugal has just been a necessary step on his journey to the big time.

The latest updates suggest he has agreed personal terms with Arteta pushing for the signing. Now all is left is for Arsenal and Sporting CP to reach an agreement themselves, so he may end up next through the door if all goes to that plan.

The Gunners are also being linked with a multitude of wing talent, Rodrygo of Real Madrid and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace.

If it were feasible to land both then there would be little argument not to, only for the fact that there remains on place in Arteta's starting XI here.

As fine a player as Eze is - eight goals and eight assists last season and even better records to display before that - Selhurst Park is just not the Santiago Bernabeu, with all due respect. For Rodrygo to have stepped into Real Madrid as a 17-year-old, dealing with that pressure to help claim 13 major titles over an eight-year span, is nothing short of extraordinary.

When a Galactico comes onto the market, you go for it.

Best potential Arsenal starting XI