The Gunners currently have numbers 10 and 14 available for new recruits. The No.10 shirt has been vacant since Emile Smith Rowe's transfer to Fulham last year - and Eddie Nketiah was the last to wear the No 14, formerly donned by Thierry Henry.

Zubimendi has also been linked with a blockbuster switch to the Emirates Stadium this summer. football.london understands that Arsenal have long admired the Real Sociedad midfielder, who has a release clause in his contract worth €60million (£51.4m).

Arsenal’s summer transfer window has been a gradual simmer, a world away from the frantic scrambles some fans might have wished for. However, that tranquility appears to be finally ruptured by dramatic news.