arsenal have completed the signing of martin zubimendi from real sociedad for 60 million pounds and the entire football world is talking about it because this is not just any signing this is a statement this is arteta getting the man he wanted for years this is the culmination of a long complicated
pursuit that took patience strategy money negotiation and a lot of trust between player and club it is a signing that arsenal fans are celebrating already because they know what this means they know zubimendi is not just a good midfielder he is an intelligent controller a leader a winner a player with the exact profile arteta has been searching for ever since he took over arsenal have been transformed under arteta they have gone from a team in decline to genuine title contenders but everyone knew they still needed something more in midfield
someone to sit deep and dictate the tempo someone to protect the defence but also launch attacks someone with the vision to break lines with passing someone with the courage to take the ball under pressure and keep it moving and zubimendi is that player arteta has admired him for years he studied him at real sociedad he watched how he controlled games with simplicity but also ambition he saw how he marshalled the midfield in la liga against some of the best players in the world how he stayed calm when pressed how he chose the right pass over and over again he became obsessed with signing him the club made that clear
behind the scenes they had other targets but zubimendi was always at the top of the list last summer they even travelled to spain to try to get a deal done they met in marbella in the scorching heat a delegation from arsenal led by edu and jason ayto sat down with real sociedad’s sporting director roberto alabe and their president jokin aperribay at that point arsenal were actually pushing to sign
mikel merino his midfield partner but they made it clear they also wanted zubimendi but they could not afford both at the time so they made a plan they agreed in principle that they would come back for zubimendi this summer they built the trust they promised to do it the right way and zubimendi liked that he respected the honesty he liked the project he liked the idea of working with arteta who is also from san sebastian they share that basque heritage that understanding of football culture they speak the same language not just literally but tactically emotionally philosophically
arteta told him he would be the brain of the team the controller the player to elevate arsenal’s possession game to the next level but it was not simple there were other clubs in the race liverpool wanted him badly they thought they had him last summer they even got into detailed talks with sociedad their new sporting director richard hughes was pushing hard they saw zubimendi as the perfect answer to their midfield rebuild and zubimendi liked the idea of anfield but he felt it was rushed he was in the middle of
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preparing for the european championship with spain he did not want to commit to such a big move without thinking it through so he turned them down politely he did not want drama he did not want a big story about rejecting liverpool he just wanted to wait he told his people be patient let us see what happens arsenal were patient they waited they monitored they spoke quietly with his camp they kept the relationship strong they made sure he knew they were serious but they also respected real sociedad they did not try to unsettle him they did not leak
stories they waited for the right moment but it was risky because there was another threat real madrid were watching closely xabi alonso was coaching bayer leverkusen but everyone knew he was going to end up at madrid sooner or later and xabi loved zubimendi they worked together in sociedad’s b team they had a strong bond they were both clients of the same agency and madrid were looking at midfield reinforcements if xabi took over he would want zubimendi arsenal knew this they feared it they worried madrid would swoop in and ruin everything but they trusted their plan they had the players word zubimendi told
them he would join arsenal he gave them his word as early as last summer that this was his choice he wanted arsenal because of arteta because of the project because of the style of play because of the chance to reunite with merino who was also coming and odegaard his old teammate from sociedad it felt right it felt like destiny so arsenal worked quietly to get it done they agreed to pay over the release clause because they wanted to spread the cost in spain release clauses have to be paid in full in one payment arsenal did not want that they wanted a structured deal so they negotiated to pay more in total but with a better payment plan sociedad agreed they liked the respect shown they liked that arsenal did not play games and so even as rumors swirled about madrid even as
spanish newspapers splashed stories about xabi wanting zubimendi the truth was the deal was already done it had been agreed in principle for months it just needed formalities edu left arsenal in november which made some people nervous but jason ayto stepped up he became acting sporting director he and james king the director of football operations made sure everything stayed on track they handled the paperwork the medicals the details they made sure nothing went wrong meanwhile zubimendi kept playing for sociedad giving everything staying professional even as he knew he was leaving he played 236 times for them scored 10 goals he was a leader on the pitch a quiet
leader but respected by everyone and he kept getting better he helped spain win euro 2024 he came on in the final against england replacing rodri helped steady the ship and saw spain win with oyarzabal’s goal he scored in the nations league final against portugal even though they lost on penalties he became a regular for spain as rodri dealt with injuries he proved he could do it at the highest level under pressure in big games that convinced arteta even more he was the missing piece the player to turn arsenal’s good team into a great one now he has signed a five year deal he has taken the number 36 shirt for now he has posed for the cameras at london colney he has met his
new teammates done the interviews talked about the big moment in his career he said it was the move he always wanted that as soon as you set foot in arsenal you realize how big this club is he praised the style of play said it was a perfect fit he spoke about the potential the ambition the sense that the best is yet to come arteta could not hide his delight he called zubimendi a player who will bring huge quality and intelligence who will fit in perfectly who can be a key player the standard he has performed at for club and country was exactly what arsenal needed arteta knows this is the signing that can make his system work the way he wants the way he has been building towards for years with rice with odegaard with merino and now zubimendi arsenal will have a midfield that can do everything defend attack control
create they will have depth they will have tactical flexibility they will have players who understand each other who trust each other who can rotate who can handle the intensity of a title race and the champions league because that is the goal arsenal are not buying zubimendi to finish fourth they are buying him to win trophies to dethrone city to conquer europe to make the emirates a fortress they are sending a message to the fans to the rivals to everyone that arsenal are serious they are not going to fade away they are building something special and zubimendi is the symbol of that vision he is the brain of the future as the media are calling him but he is also humble hard
working serious about his craft he is not a flashy star who seeks the limelight he is a team player who makes others better who does the dirty work who covers space who makes the smart pass who reads the game two steps ahead he is the kind of player arteta himself was the kind of player arsenal fans respect and love that is why they are so excited about this signing they know it is not just about the 60 million fee it is about what it represents planning patience vision commitment trust in the process it is about a manager getting the player he wants about a club backing that vision about a player choosing arsenal over other big clubs
because he believes in the project it is a story of loyalty of ambition of shared dreams zubimendi is arriving in london ready to work ready to adapt ready to learn but also ready to lead he is quiet off the pitch but commanding on it he lets his football speak he will be reunited with merino who will help him settle he will have odegaard to link with he will have rice to cover for him he will have saka martinelli jesus trossard to feed with passes he will have ramsdale or raya behind him calling instructions he will be part of a team that has grown together suffered together and now wants to win together arsenal are not done in the market they want gyokeres they want more depth but zubimendi is the jewel in this window the one they have waited for the one arteta has
dreamed about fans will argue about the price about whether he will adapt to the premier league about whether he is physical enough fast enough strong enough but those who have watched him know he will be fine he reads danger he intercepts he tackles cleanly he uses his body well he is not flashy but effective he is the perfect foil for rice who can drive forward knowing zubimendi will cover the spaces he is the organiser the metronome the glue that holds the team together and now he is an arsenal player he has walked through the doors at london colney seen the photos of legends touched the grass at the emirates heard the roar in his imagination he is ready to give everything for the badge ready to write his own chapter in arsenal history ready to help bring trophies back to north london that is why this signing matters that is why the fans are dreaming that is why arteta is smiling because they all know they just got one of the best midfielders in europe at the perfect moment in his career to lead arsenal to glory
