Arsenal Transfer News: Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun and More Join Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has completed the signings of Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun and Per Mertesacker to round up a flurry of activity that has seen Arsenal sign five players in the last two days.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Arteta had asked to leave Everton, and it is believed that this move by the player prompted Arsene Wenger to make a late move for the Spanish midfielder.

Arteta joined the Gunners on a four-year deal just before the 23:00 BST deadline. The deal had looked dead after talks between the two clubs broke down. However, Arteta handed in a transfer request an hour before the deadline. 

Reports claim the transfer fee for the 29-year-old is somewhere in the £10 million region.

The Gunners have also strengthened their squad with the signing of Chelsea and former Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun on a season-long loan.

Speaking on Twitter, Benayoun informed fans about the move:

"

I sign with Arsenal, very happy and excited about it, but now my head is only in the game against Greece on Friday, thanks for the support.

"

Arsenal also completed the signing of German international Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen. Speaking about the move, Mertesacker said:

"

I had a great time at Werder, and owe them a lot, but the move to London is a wish come true. The English Premier League has for me always represented an interesting challenge.

"

While the ferocity of the changes at Arsenal may be surprising, Arsene Wenger's proactiveness is not. These signings were desperately needed, it now just remains to be seen if they are the right ones.