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7 hours ago
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Arsenal have fixed multiple issues from last season by recruiting the ideal profiles in this summer transfer window.
The Gunners needed a midfielder who could be an enforcer in the middle of the park, allowing the other midfielders and the forwardline to work with more freedom.
Therefore, they identified former Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi as an ideal player for their midfield since last summer and eventually signed him in this window.
After a lot of waiting, the Spain international has sealed his move to North London for a whopping £60m ($70m) transfer fee.
Zubimendi was wanted by several clubs, including Real Madrid and Liverpool, but the 26-year-old combative midfielder chose to move to North London.
In a recent interview, Zubimendi highlighted that manager Mikel Arteta played a big role in helping him seal his move to the Emirates.
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"I don't know what he saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe," Zubimendi explained.
"At the end of the day, I wanted a quality coach when I left Real Sociedad.
"I think I've found him. In the few days I've been here, I've seen how meticulous he is about every aspect of the game, so I think he's the one."
He also emphasised that he is learning a lot from Arteta already in the preseason, "I think I'm going to try to do things I didn't do before. Playing in that position, I'll try to bring balance and provide that passing outlet that I'm known for.
"Beyond that, I'm sure he'll ask me to do new things."
Arteta reveals Zubimendi's role in Arsenal's stacked midfield
Zubimendi brings a lot of quality to this Arsenal squad as he possesses stability, control and combativeness in the middle of the park.
The 26-year-old midfielder would be an upgrade over Thomas Partey, who has left the club this summer after his contract ran out.
Arteta was pretty clear in his demands and thoughts about the former Sociedad midfielder. When asked about his role, Arteta said, "Six. Really excited. And again, as I said before, when you have him every single day, just around the building, just in training sessions, how he captures the information, how he processes things on the pitch, it's very impressive.
"I'm very, very happy to have him."
According to FBref, Zubimendi looks like the ideal fit in the number six role, averaging 1.31 interceptions, 2.65 clearances, 1.36 blocks, and has won 1.64 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the 2024/25 La Liga campaign.
He featured in 44 matches for Real Sociedad across competitions last season and was a pivotal player for the Basque outfit.
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