Arsenal, although they are yet to formally announce it, have a signing in the bag. Shkodran Mustafi will join the Gunners in a deal worth around €40million – £35million.
The Gunners have been trying to add a defender for some time and in Mustafi, they have finally agreed to up their valuation of the German defender to £35million, an amount enough to convince Valencia to part with their World Cup winning defender.
Mustafi, 24 will join Lucas Perez, Rob Holding and Granit Xhaka as the clubs major signings this summer. Between those four players the club will have spent around £90million on signings, and that is expected to conclude the clubs business for this transfer window – although should a late opportunity arise, Arsenal could consider it.
“I did not see Per for a long time because he quit international football but I talked to Mesut,” Mustafi told Sky Sports in Germany.
“He told me everything I wanted to know. Everything was positive, so I was convinced very fast. It did not take much.
“I have always loved Arsenal, I like how they play here, it is not typical English.
“The game here is more like in Spain and with the German national team, keeping the ball on the grass, so it was easy to convince me.”
It is not just the player who has confirmed the move, but also the German National Team. Mustafi will now travel with the German National Team where he will link up with Mesut Ozil and co. on international duty. Mustafi could play his first game for Arsenal on the 10th of September against Southampton at home, whilst the Gunners Champions League campaign will kick off 3 days later in Paris when they play Paris Saint-Germain. If Arsenal can get something out of that game then they will have a good chance of topping a group that also includes FC Basel and Ludogrets.