Arsenal announce their second signing of the summer

After only adding Petr Čech to their ranks last summer, Arsenal have already recognised the need to further strengthen their squad this time around.

Granit Xhaka arrived from FC Basel before Euro 2016, and now the club have added another new face to their ranks. Japan international Takuma Asano arrives from Sanfrecce Hiroshima, with manager Arsene Wenger describing the 21-year-old as "very much one for the future". According to Arsenal's announcement regarding the transfer, a deal will be completed 'subject to the completion of a medical and regulatory processes.' Asano scored his first Japan goal in a 7-2 victory over Bulgaria this year, a game which also saw Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Maya Yoshida find the net. He was on the scoresheet three times in this season's AFC Champions League group stage, netting the opening goal against group winners FC Seoul, as Sanfrecce narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout rounds. Asano is the third Japanese player who former Nagoya Grampus Eight manager Wenger has brought to England during his Arsenal tenure, and will hope to make more of an impact than his predecessors. Junichi Inamoto failed to make a league appearance for the Gunners during a loan spell, while Ryo Myaichi left North London last year after only a handful of first-team outings.