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Arsenal sign new players to get season going

On Tuesday, Arsenal made a response to their poor beginning in the Premier League season by acquiring South Korean striker Park Chu-young and German defender Per Mertesacker, just a day before the transfer window closed.

Meanwhile, Manchester City has been connected to the unexpected signing of injury-prone midfielder Owen Hargreaves. Since the end of last season, Premier League clubs have already spent approximately $560 million, a number that is likely to increase as the last transfers of the January window need to be finalized by 0800 AEST on Thursday.

Arsenal fans have placed significant pressure on the club to enhance their roster after the arrivals of nearly $94 million from the transfers of midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri this month. Now, manager Arsene Wenger is beginning to utilize some of those funds after Arsenal managed to earn only one point in their first three league matches, with Sunday’s humiliating 8-2 defeat against Manchester United marking the most goals conceded by the club since 1896.

Park, the South Korea captain, is the first of several anticipated moves, transferring to north London after a three-year stint with Monaco. Additionally, Werder Bremen’s general manager Klaus Allofs confirmed that Germany defender Per Mertesacker will join Arsenal too. An official confirmation is anticipated on Wednesday, pending the finalization of a few details between the two clubs.

According to German media, Arsenal is expected to pay around $13.6 million for the central defender who is in the last year of his contract with Bremen. The 26-year-old Mertesacker is reportedly set to sign a contract until 2015. Furthermore, Wenger is looking to reinforce the defense with Brazilian left-back Andre Santos. Should the 28-year-old Santos depart from Fenerbahce, he could fill the gap left by Gael Clichy’s transfer to Manchester City and Armand Traore’s move to Queens Park Rangers.

City, known for their extravagant spending, have once again been one of the most active clubs this summer as Roberto Mancini invests Sheikh Mansour’s money in talents like Sergio Aguero and Nasri.

The club’s most significant risk might be the potential signing of Hargreaves, who was let go by Manchester United after four seasons plagued with injuries. The 30-year-old former Bayern Munich midfielder underwent surgery on both knees, limiting him to just four appearances over the last three years. Unable to secure a club before the start of the season, he posted videos on YouTube showcasing his fitness. However, on Tuesday, Hargreaves was seen arriving at a Manchester hospital for a City medical check-up. “He hasn’t played as much as he would have liked over the last couple of seasons but the medical team we have is very good and very strong. If we can get him fit, I’m sure it won’t be very long before he is back to his best,” said City defender Joleon Lescott.

After a 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham on Sunday, City currently shares the Premier League lead with Manchester United. This result highlighted Tottenham’s weaknesses, prompting the club to finalize the signing of England midfielder Scott Parker following his transfer request at West Ham.

Liverpool has secured the signing of Uruguay defender Sebastian Coates from Nacional de Montevideo for $10.79 million, as confirmed by his international teammate Luis Suarez now at Anfield. Kenny Dalglish had already strengthened Liverpool’s defense by acquiring Jose Enrique from Newcastle. In turn, Newcastle added a replacement at No.3 on Tuesday with Italy defender Davide Santon joining from Inter Milan on a five-year deal.

Additionally, Wigan has brought in 29-year-old Spanish winger Albert Crusat from Almeria with a two-year deal, while German goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel, aged 32, has joined Swansea on a two-year contract after remaining a free agent since departing Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg.

by Buford Balony

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