London: Arsenal responded to their dismal start to the season on Tuesday by signing South Korea striker Park Chu-young on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window.
Arsenal have been under the greatest pressure from their fans to bolster the squad after seeing almost 100 million US Dollars come in for midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri this month.
Now manager Arsene Wenger is starting to spend some of it after Arsenal collected just one point from their first three league matches, with Sunday's 8-2 rout by Manchester United the most goals conceded by the team since 1896.
The first of several expected deals to be completed is the 26-year-old Park, the South Korea captain moving to north London after three seasons with Monaco.
"He will add true quality to our attacking forces and will be a valuable addition to the squad," Wenger said.
"Ju" as he is known will have J.Y. Park on the back of his No. 9 shirt.
Wenger is also trying to strengthen the defence with Germany center-back Per Mertesacker and Brazil left-back Andre Santos.
Mertesacker was expected to undergo a medical at Arsenal on Tuesday after Germany coach Joachim Loew gave the Werder Bremen player permission to leave the national team camp to travel to London.
"Yesterday late in the evening, he came to me and told me that there was an offer (from Arsenal)," Loew said Tuesday.
If the 28-year-old Santos leaves Fenerbahce, he will help fill the void left by the departure of Gael Clichy to Manchester City and Armand Traore to Queens Park Rangers.
The 21-year-old Traore has joined the newly-promoted west London club on a three-year contract.
He is the third signing since Air Asia chief executive Tony Fernandes took over at Loftus Road earlier this month, joining Joey Barton and Luke Young.
Senegal defender Traore has made 33 appearances for Arsenal and spent time on loan at Juventus last season.
"I've not been able to prove and show what I'm all about because I've been at two big, big clubs like Juventus and Arsenal," he said. "I'm looking forward to coming here and playing regular football. The ambition of the new owners and the caliber of players they are signing is something that really attracted me to the club."
QPR manager Neil Warnock has promised Traore regular action.
"He's a young and exciting lad who I think can only get better playing for a side like ourselves on a regular basis," Warnock said. "He needs games and he'll get that here. Nobody has seen the best of him yet, but over the next couple of years I'm confident he'll show the quality that I clearly believe he has. He'll be a great outlet for us down that left-hand side."
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