Come the end of the season, Arsenal will once again be challenging for the Premier League title after their excellent start to the campaign. Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in second place on 36 points, just a point behind Liverpool.
The Gunners’ most recent match was a 1-0 away defeat to Unai Emery’s Aston Villa. The hosts took an early lead and continued to play a brave highline, which Arsenal were unable to take advantage of.
With teams starting to attack the void left by the inverted Oleksandr Zinchenko as seen this weekend, and Thomas Partey’s lack of availability recently, Arteta may look to sign another midfielder who can serve as rotation for Declan Rice or play alongside him.
Arsenal transfers latest – Martin Zubimendi
According to David Ornstein via the Athletic, Arsenal are interested in signing a midfielder, with Martin Zubimendi included in their transfer targets.
The journalist stated: "We know they like Martin Zubimendi, Nicolo Barella, Pedro Neto and others, but again I don’t know of any movement of that."
The Real Sociedad midfielder has a transfer market value of £34m as per Transfermarkt, which is a steal for someone of his quality, however, a move in the winter window is extremely unlikely due to the Gunners' financial fair play position.
Additionally, departures would have to occur first and there is no movement regarding exits for any of the club's current midfielders.
Martin Zubimendi’s style of play
Zubimendi has earned heaps of praise recently and according to Spanish national team boss, Jose Luis De La Fuente, the 24-year-old is “one of the best midfielders in the world” alongside Manchester City star, Rodri.
The Spain international has become an imperative cog in Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea’s Sociedad side, featuring in every game this season.
The number four excels in multiple roles within the midfield, whether it is playing as a lone defensive midfielder, or working in a midfield two. This makes him the perfect backup for Arsenal, directly filling in for Rice or even partnering him when Arteta wishes to become more defensively cautious.
Zubimendi’s profile is certainly similar to Rodri’s, in terms of setting the tempo for his side to retain possession, shown by his pass completion percentage of 85.4% and his lack of shot-creating actions, 1.88 per 90.
He is also proactive out of possession, boasting similar defensive stats to Rice. The graphic below is how he compares to Arsenal’s number 41, based on their statistics in their respective leagues.
Tackles
1.82
2.15
Interceptions
1.28
1.56
Clearances
1.95
1.63
Progressive passes
5.11
7.49
Passes completed
43.32
61.28
Another crucial aspect of Zubimendi’s game is his availability, which is one of the most important yet rarely mentioned attributes to have.
He has only missed an incredible three games since 2019, whereas Partey has been unavailable for an astonishing 51. This makes the Spaniard a much more reliable option for Arteta and it almost makes purchasing the Sociedad player a safe move.
With the never-ending, intense schedule that Arsenal will endure due to domestic and European commitments, Arteta will be forced to rotate his side frequently and the fact that Zubimendi is versatile allows him to cover multiple midfield roles. He would be an excellent fit at the Emirates.
