Arsenal's £232m midfield after Christian Norgaard and Martin Zubimendi transfers

Arsenal are due to have a much-changed midfield next season after already confirming one transfer this summer transfer window, and as many as three are to follow.

Jorginho has already departed the club two-and-a-half years after signing from Chelsea. The Gunners reached a mutual agreement to end the player's contract a couple of weeks before it expired so he could sign for Flamengo on a free transfer before the Club World Cup.

They have since won 3-1 against the Blues en route to topping Group D ahead of the west London club. Bayern Munich will be their next opponent in the round of 16.

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His departure, however, depletes Arsenal's depth in midfield. Thomas Partey leaving the club when his contract expires would only further reduce the options in midfield for manager Mikel Arteta.

Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino could be the only recognised central midfielders at the club come 1 July. Myles Lewis-Skelly, of course, can play in the middle but has barely done so for the first team yet.

Ben White and Jakub Kiwior have also operated further forward, albeit not since signing for Arsenal. Oleksandr Zinchenko would be another option, having started centrally several times, but there is uncertainty about the player's future this summer.

Merino, Odegaard and Rice are no bad three to have, though; after all, the club committed a combined £167million when signing them. The latter cost the bulk of that at £100million plus £5million in add-ons, £2million of which they have already paid West Ham United after qualifying for the Champions League in each season since signing the player.

Arsenal had by then already paid a fee believed to be in the region of €35 million (£30million) for Odegaard. Merino then cost around €32.5million (£27.72million) last summer, alongside an additional €5million (£4.26million) in add-ons.

Those three deals, therefore, cost the club approaching £170million inclusive of add-ons. The signing of Martin Zubimendi would take that total past £200million.

Across three instalments, Arsenal are to pay circa €65million (£55.43million) for the Real Sociedad player. The Gunners are now understood to have made Brentford an opening offer for Christian Norgaard, reportedly worth €11million (£9.38million).

Adding those fees, which total £64.81million, to the potential outlay on Merino, Odegaard and Rice takes their spending on midfielders to almost £232million.