Benayoun and Arteta complete late deals for Arsenal

With under half an hour left in the transfer window last night, Yossi Benayoun completed his year long loan from Chelsea, whilst Mikel Arteta signed for £10million on a 4 year contract, from Everton. The Benayoun deal was in place from around 18:30, once it was made clear Bellamy would be returning to Liverpool. We had the option to buy him for £2million, yet Wenger wasn’t convinced about his injury record. A year long loan seems good business.

Arteta proved the most frantic deal of deadline day: It was reported mid afternoon we had gone in hard for his services. After initial talks the deal appeared to be a goer, however, we then pulled out after his £90,000 a week wage demands, for a player also so injury prone. For around an hour the deal seemed dead. Then, to our amazement the player dropped his demands and after some ‘will he?’ ‘won’t he?’, Everton finally agreed to sell, with Arteta adamant he had to go. It was then just a case of getting all forms signed, which were and sending the all important fax off.

He said: “It is a big opportunity for me and my family and I think it is the right time for me to take it,”

“It is a big challenge, a different challenge, fresh for me and I want to see myself on the biggest stage, the Champions League.

“I am 29 years old so I haven’t got much time left to take a chance like this one. I think I have done my best for Everton.

“I always try hard, I have been as professional as I could and I was grateful for the support and the love that the club and the fans showed me.”

What a day. Many of the players will be on international duty this week, so we won’t see them for a while, but the new faces have cheered us all up, so let’s get back to winning ways, like we should! Come back to the site late afternoon for a more detailed round up of the players signed.

PS – I’m looking forward to our Fifa 12 team now!!