It has been an extremely busy summer transfer window for Arsenal as they are leaving no stone unturned to bridge the gap between them and other Premier League title contenders in Liverpool and Man City.
The Gunners have finished second in three consecutive seasons, and this marks a make-or-break campaign for manager Mikel Arteta.
Hence, they have invested a lot of money in bringing reinforcements without doing any major player sales this summer.
They have kick-started their 2025/26 season with a 1-0 win over Manchester United at the Old Trafford and though they didn't have the best outing, it is an acceptable result.
The match also gave the fans an idea of the quality that Arsenal's new signing possession as Martin Zubimendi looked really good in midfield barring the early nerves in the opening few minutes of the game.
The Spaniard was standout among Arsenal's signings, and he was duly praised by club captain Martin Odegaard, who couldn't stop raving about the former Real Sociedad midfielder.
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Speaking on the Men In Blazers podcast, Odegaard said: “Yeah, he’s [Zubimendi] been really good in pre-season.
“And I’ve played a little bit with him before in Spain, you know, so I knew his qualities. A top player, as you say, he can find any pass, you know, he can break the lines, he can drive with the ball.
“He’s also so smart, you know, intelligent to read where the ball is going to land. And he picks up a lot of second balls. And yeah, he really controls the game. It’s going to give us a new dimension there. So yeah, excited for it.”
Why is Zubimendi so important for Arsenal?
Arsenal have been chasing Zubimendi for a long time as Arteta is a big fan of the Spain international and felt him to be the ideal player for the Gunners.
However, he was close to joining Liverpool last season, but the deal eventually didn't materialize. Therefore, Arsenal made the move for the 26-year-old this summer and after a long wait, the former Real Sociedad man moved to the Emirates.
Zubimendi has qualities to break up play and control the tempo of the game for the Gunners. He could turn out to be the engine in Arteta's system, improving the other players playing in and around him.
Therefore, the Spaniard is easily one of the most important signings for the North London outfit as he holds a determining factor in the club's success.
While there's a lot of reason to be excited about Viktor Gyokeres joining Arsenal, Zubimendi's move to the Emirates is of equal importance as he is easily one of the best midfielders in Europe.
Arsenal news and related links
- Why did Eberechi Eze reject Tottenham for Arsenal? How Spurs transfer fell through and who they could sign instead
- Shot shy Gyokeres at the Emirates: 3 key questions in Arsenal vs. Leeds United
- Has Mikel Arteta spent £1 billion at Arsenal? Every Gunners transfer since December 2019