Martin Zubimendi, the 26-year-old Spain international, has joined Arsenal from Real Sociedad on a five-year contract for a fee of around €65million (£55.8m; $76.6m). Arsenal will pay more than Zubimendi’s €60million release clause but the compromise means they will be able to pay the fee in installments, rather than as one lump sum.

At half-time of last year’s European Championship final against England, Spain manager Luis de la Fuente had a simple message for his players. “Let’s be ourselves,” he told his team, in a speech filmed by Amazon’s documentary-makers.

Such praise underlines why Arsenal have invested more than £50million to sign Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. With Jorginho and Thomas Partey departing, the club are overhauling the base of their midfield and they first started looking for a world-class No6 a year ago.