Arsene Wenger believes the arrival of Julio Baptista will give Arsenal a new dimension.

The Gunners were busy over the final few hours of the transfer window as Ashley Cole and Pascal Cygan departed and Jose Antonio Reyes headed to Spain as part of the deal which brought Baptista from Real Madrid.

Wenger had long maintained he would not let anyone go unless he felt it was right for the club, with both the Cole and Reyes moves completed just ahead of the midnight deadline after a compromise package had been reached.

Last week, the Arsenal manager branded an £8.1million bid from Atletico Madrid an "insult", with Reyes himself making it clear the Bernabeu was his preferred destination.

Wenger has kept a close watch on Baptista (24), the versatile Brazilian who is able to play either as a striker or in an advanced midfield role.

Indeed, the Gunners tried to sign him a year ago, when instead the player opted for Real.

The willingness of the Spanish club in allowing Baptista to leave as part of the package is understood to have been central to Wenger freeing up Reyes, having constantly stated there was little he could do to orchestrate a move back home for the wantaway winger.

The terms of the deal remain somewhat unclear, with Arsenal maintaining Baptista had joined "for an undisclosed fee" and Reyes heading to Real "in a reverse move".

Wenger clearly sees the Brazilian international as an integral part of his plans.

"Julio Baptista will be a great addition to our squad," Wenger said. "He is a powerful young international and is a versatile footballer who can operate both in midfield and as a striker.

"He has shown his potential over the past few seasons in Spain with both Real Madrid and Sevilla and we are looking forward to him joining us."

The Arsenal boss added: "While welcoming Julio, we would like to wish Jose the best of luck for his time in Spain."

There was, meanwhile, little more for Wenger to say today on the departure of Cole.

Chelsea and Arsenal eventually issued a joint statement confirming Cole's protracted move had been completed at around 1:30am — long after the transfer deadline had passed.

Although the Gunners may not have secured the £25million-plus deal they were initially hoping for after it became clear the defender wanted out, the inclusion of William Gallas as part of the package will have at least provided Wenger with another option at the back.

With youngsters Justin Hoyte and Mathieu Flamini showing they have been capable deputies on the left side of defence, the experienced Frenchman (29) offers Arsenal extra cover in the area while ready-made replacement Gael Clichy continues his recovery from a foot injury.

"I like the fact Gallas is a good defender," Wenger had commented earlier this month. "He can play right-back, left-back, centre-back."

Both Gallas and Baptista could make their Arsenal debuts at home to Middlesbrough on September 9th, when Wenger will be seeking his first Premiership win of the fledgling campaign having only picked up one point so far.

And with the opening Champions League group fixture in Hamburg to follow before the trip to Manchester United in a fortnight's time, Wenger knows if his re-jigged side are to challenge for honours again, he has to get the right blend on the pitch sooner rather than later.  PA