Wenger FINALLY buys as Arsenal manager lands £8.3m Malaga defender Monreal

Arsenal pulled off a coup with an £8.3million move for Malaga left back Nacho Monreal while manager Arsene Wenger will revive his interest in Barcelona striker David Villa in the summer.

The 26-year-old arrived in London to complete his move to the Emirates Stadium after Gunners officials finalised the deal with Malaga officials in the afternoon.
Sportsmail revealed how Wenger would make a move for a new left-back on transfer deadline day after Kieran Gibbs was ruled out for three weeks with a thigh injury.

Done deal: Arsenal are set to complete the signing of Nacho Monreal

 

And Monreal will help soften Wenger's injury concerns in the problem position as he enters a crucial period in the season.

The defender has signed a four-and-a-half year deal worth in the region of £50,000-per-week.
Wenger told the club website: 'We are delighted that Nacho Monreal has agreed to join us. We have been monitoring him for some time now and are really pleased that we’ve been able to agree this move today.
'Monreal is a strong left-sided defender with good experience at both club and international level. He is a technically gifted player, a good crosser in the final third and strong in the air. Monreal will add quality to our squad and of course, to our defensive unit. We all look forward to him playing for us.'
In a meeting at the club's London Colney HQ on Monday, Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis agreed they would not pursue any players, apart from Villa, during the closing stages of the transfer window.

On the move: The defender is in London putting the final touches on his £8.5m transfer to the Emirates

However, Gibbs' injury in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Tuesday night forced the pair in a rethink, resulting in the capture of Monreal.

The full-back arrives in the Premier League with an impressive reputation from his native Spain.
Monreal, a former Osasuna academy graduate, signed for Malaga for £6million in 2011 after making an impression with his hometown club, for whom he made 127 appearances.
He made his debut for Spain in a 2009 friendly against Macedonia and has gone on to win nine caps for the national side.

Monrea has also been compared to Barcelona's excellent left-back Jordi Alba.
Wenger's quick decision to sign a new left-back stems from fears over the form of Andre Santos, Gibbs' replacement.

Injured: Kieran Gibbs faces three weeks on the sidelines with a thigh injury

The Brazil left-back has proved error-prone since his arrival from Fenerbache last season, so much so that Wenger even looked at remoulding Santos into a winger in pre-season.

And it is clear that Wenger feels the prospect of going into the next three weeks with Santos as his only recognised left-back as too risky.
However, Monreal will be ineligible for Arsenal's Champions League double-header against Bayern Munich. 

Wenger is likely to partner Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker in central-defence and shift Thomas Vermaelen out to left-back for the clash against the German giants.

Wenger still harboured small hope of clinching a deal to bring Villa to London. But it became clear their top January target would not be obtainable by mid-morning as Barcelona continued to resist Arsenal's overtures.