In a recent interview with Caught Offside, journalist Charles Watts revealed that Arsenal are big admirers of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. Watts said,
“I do expect Arsenal to sign a midfielder this summer, but a lot will depend on what happens with the midfielders they currently have.
“Ideally they would like Jorginho to stay, and then they have to sort out Thomas Partey’s future. Partey still has a year left on his deal and, just like last summer, Arsenal would not stand in his way of leaving should a decent offer arrive for the Ghana international.
“Should that happen, then they would have to replace him and Martin Zubimendi is a player they believe can play the Partey role. Mikel Arteta knows Zubimendi well and is a big admirer of the Spain international, but there is uncertainty around whether he actually wants to leave Real Sociedad. There is also expected to be strong rival interest in the 25-year-old, so it might not be an easy deal to get done.”
Zubimendi’s Impressive Form In Spanish Football
Zubimendi has managed to impress with his performances at the heart of Real Sociedad’s midfield. He has made 41 appearances for the Spanish club this season, scoring four times and earning one assist in the process in all competitions.
The 25-year-old has anchored the midfield with conviction and deserves a ton of credit for averaging 1.6 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and 1.8 clearances per game in La Liga. He has even been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 86.1% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
What Will Zubimendi Bring To Arsenal?
Zubimendi is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to secure possession back for his team in the middle of the park. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive. The Spanish talent is an accurate passer of the ball as well. He mainly acts as a defensive midfielder but can also serve as a box-to-box midfielder if required.
We can expect Zubimendi to bring more bite and steel to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta‘s midfield. He is good enough to challenge for a regular starting spot at the North London club next season.
At 25, Zubimendi will only get better as he matures as a footballer over the next few years. Thus, it makes sense for the Gunners to try and arrange a move to bring him to the Emirates Stadium in the upcoming transfer window.
