Arsenal confirm fifth signing of the day as Arteta arrives at Emirates

Mikel Arteta has become Arsenal’s fifth signing on the transfer deadline day as Arsene Wenger wraps up a great day for the Gunners.

Arteta joins Yossi Benayoun, Per Mertesacker, Andre Santos and Park Chu-Young as new arrivals at the Emirates and suddenly the losses of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri don’t seem so bad.

Everton will be gutted to lose such an influential midfielder but the lure of Champions League football was too much for Arteta and David Moyes could not convince the Spaniard to stay at Goodison.

Sources inside the club have confirmed Arsenal have signed Arteta for around £10m, and the Spaniard arrived at Arsenal’s training ground earlier this evening in order to pass a medical and file the necessary paperwork.

Arsenal are currently 40/1 to win the Premier League but the signing or Arteta will see that price slashed over the course of the next 24 hours and punters should see the price hit somewhere around 14/1 – the current price Liverpool are to win the league.

However for Everton fans the loss of Arteta means a lack of support from the punters and Everton’s 14/1 odds for relegation, and David Moyes’ 14/1 odds to be the next Premier League manager to leave, look likely to shorten by the time we wake in the morning.

Denis Stracqualursi has been confirmed as an Everton player today and Royston Drenthe has arrived on a loan deal from Real Madrid, but there’s no doubt the Everton fans will be rueing the loss of Arteta.

There will still be a few Arsenal fans who will need convincing that Arteta is the man to turn their season around, but there is no doubt that Arsene Wenger has brought experience in this transfer window.

The likes of Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey are sure to benefit from playing alongside Arteta and it his arrival could prove to be a pivotal moment in the history of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal career.