Before I kick off any Arsenal-related musings today, I thought I’d take a moment to acknowledge and express my sadness at the Diogo Jota news yesterday. Very sad and sobering. At 28-year’s old to lose your life is a tragedy in any walk of life. This was a man recently married, with a wife and kids, who has had his time on earth – and that of his brother’s – cut horribly short. When incidents like this happen it makes you realise we are all humans and to see the footballing world come together to express it’s sadness and unity was appropriate and also the only non-sad part of this tragedy. Hug your loved ones, because you never know how long you have got, guys and girls.

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From an Arsenal perspective the expectation was that the club would announce Zubimendi yesterday, but after that news, I think it was the right thing to do to postpone anything relating to transfers on a day in which the footballing world was mourning. Whether they go ahead today and announce the signing remains to be seen – but how long is it appropriate to show a mark of respect before news starts filtering back out? I have no idea. Even today might still feel too soon, so we might not get any further confirmation until the weekend is truly upon us.

David Ornstein did have a late night scoop for us thought; it appears Carlos Cuesta is being replaced by the more experienced Gabriel Heinze. Clearly Arteta feels that you can never have enough Gabriel’s in your team, so he’s bringing one more in, just for safe keeping. It feels like a good move to me because Heinze has already been a manager at a number of clubs. He’s been mainly at Argentinian clubs like Velez Sarsfield and Newell’s Old Boys, but he also had a stint in the MLS with Atlanta United and with over 200 games in management under his belt, Arteta is bringing in a coach who can provide him the benefit of his wisdom and experience, which must be of value.

The pair know each other from Arteta’s PSG days and so they have a connection, whilst Heinze will be able to speak English, having spent three year’s at Man United before moving on to Real Madrid, Marseille and Roma. This is a season’s professional who knows all the leagues of Europe and I suspect this is something that Arteta has wanted for some time. I don’t think he’s happy Carlos Cuesta has gone, I’m sure he didn’t want it to happen, but with a spot opening up, this feels like an obvious move.

Heinze has the gravitas and CV of a winner on the pitch too. He won the league in 2007 with United, he won the league with Real Madrid and played 72 times for Argentina. The Arsenal players will be well aware of his credentials and whilst there might be an acclimatisation period for him joining the team and getting settled in this summer, the fact that he comes with that background gives him a bit of a leg up. Can he replicate the relationship with the player’s that Cuesta had? That’s difficult to say. He was a guy who was basically the same age as a lot of the footballers on the pitch, so perhaps they could relate to him more than a 47-year-old, but perhaps the dynamics need to change and we do need a little more experience with a coach like Heinze.

That’s obviously not where our focus lies, which is still on the pitch and I had a good chat with Johnny and Pete on the Arsenal Opinion Podcast last night about incomings, which centred around the Eze chat and, as I said to the gents last night I’m really warming up to this one. That’s because I think this allows Arteta to take his tactical fluidity to the next level. I called it “Arteta 2.0” because in my mind, if we go for (and get) a guy who operates in that left eight attacking space like Eze, it unlocks a number of different approaches Arteta could try. Looking to break down a low block at home? Play both Odegaard and Eze in the same game. Want to mix it up against a team like Newcastle who overload their right hand side and double up on Saka? Switch from ‘right pod’ bias to a ‘left pod’ bias by having Eze and Martinelli on that side. That could also potentially leave the likes of Saka with more space if teams them naturally shift over to dealing with us on the left hand side. Thinking about rotating Odegaard because of signs of fatigue? Ebreche – you’re in mate. want to even try and mix things up and get a number ten on the pitch? He can do that.

In Eze you have a dribbler who will take plenty of shots – he has some of the highest shot-taking percentages in the league – and with 16 goals and assists in 34 Premier League games last season, you do have a guy who has end product. I do have questions over a few niggly injuries he picks up, plus there is the fact that he himself admitted pre-FA Cup that he’s a guy who needs games to get rhythm, which I’m not sure he’ll get at The Arsenal. But there’s a lot to like about this deal, if the price is right of course. You can’t pay £68million for a guy who is 27 and will not be guaranteed game time every week. if you can do the deal for £50million I think we have a superb footballer to add in to the squad.

A final piece of news that came in late last night from that HandofArsenal chap yesterday, which was that Arsenal were in talks with Tomiyasu to mutually part ways with him pending an agreement. I don’t know if that means a free transfer or not – I suspect so – but there are Saudi Arabian clubs who are supposed to be interested and I think sadly, that’s best for all parties. He has always come across as a lovely guy, whenever he’s played he’s been brilliant, but that body of his has just let him down time and time again and it’s clear that the rigours of the Premier League are just not right for him. It’s a real shame if/when it happens, because I remember that first season for us and he was bloody brilliant at right back. But his lack of availability has meant Arsenal have now stocked both of the positions he can play and, as a result, his game time would probably end up being negligible next season anyway.

Right, I’m done this week. As I said at the top of today’s blog – hug your loved ones. Life is fleeting and we should appreciate the gift we have all been given whilst we have it.