Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal is virtually complete but an official announcement confirming him as the Gunners' first summer signing is not expected imminently.

Last Friday, the defensive midfielder travelled over to London in order to finalise his transfer from Real Sociedad.It has been claimed he met with club officials before signing his contract to make the move legally binding.

All the formalities now look to have been resolved, which has absolutely ruled out a late hijack attempt by Real Madrid.

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However, Zubimendi had already made it clear he was joining Arsenal and thus Los Blancos can be considered as another club he has turned down in addition to Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

While it is not exactly a blockbuster signing, the calibre of teams that have tried to sign him shows exactly what kind of player he is and for Arsenal it is a specific addition that desperately needed.

Jorginho has already departed at the end of his contract and as things stand, Thomas Partey will join him in leaving as a free agent.Contract talks for the Ghana international have stalled since the conclusion of the 2024/25 season and if not resolved in just over one week, he will be able to depart.

That scenario playing out will make it crucial that another central midfielder is signed alongside Zubimendi and a favourable payment plan means Arsenal will have the funds to do exactly that.

As opposed to paying his £51 million (€60m) release clause in full, the Gunners will pay for his services across three instalments that amount to £55million (€65m).

With those finer details between the two clubs, all that now awaits is confirmation of his arrival. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano revealed over the weekend that an official statement was being prepared but it has since become clear that another week may pass before it is made public.

That is because Sociedad want the transfer to go through after their new financial year starts on June 30, according to the Sunday Mirror. It has also been claimed that extra £4m will go a long way to ensuring Arsenal remain compliant with profit and sustainability rules.

Everything suggests Zubimendi to Arsenal is a completely done deal but supporters will just have to be a little patient when it comes to him joining up with his new teammates.

The delay is unlikely to impact any training sessions or pre-season plans with the majority of players, especially those that played international football earlier this month, still on holiday.

That is certainly the case for another summer target in Benjamin Seskowith The Times claiming Arsenal deals are likely to accelerate at the turn of the month with no club wanting to pay unnecessary wages.