Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi have formed a fantastic partnership at Arsenal.
The midfield is arguably the most important area of the pitch for any team, and in Mikel Arteta’s system, it can be extremely complicated at times.
However, Rice hit the ground running after he joined the Gunners, and Zubimendi has done the same since his move from Real Sociedad in the summer.
Rice tells Arsenal fans that the latter cannot be forgotten.
How much is Martin Zubimendi worth to Arsenal now?
It's certainly a lot more than the £51m we paid!
Declan Rice says Martin Zubimendi’s adaptation to the Premier League should not be ‘overlooked’
Martin Zubimendi was wanted by several huge clubs across Europe.
The Spaniard was outstanding for Real Sociedad during his time there, and his performances put him on the wish list of clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.
However, Arsenal ended up signing Zubimendi, and he has proved to be one of the best signings of the season.
Declan Rice loves playing with the 27-year-old and has claimed that the way Zubimendi has adapted to life in the Premier League should not be overlooked.
He said, as per HaytersTV: “Zubi, the Spanish six. So, so good. Calm, composed.
“His first season in the Premier League, I don’t think it should be overlooked how tough it is to come to the Premier League from La Liga and do what he’s doing.
“So yeah, I love playing with that guy, so calm and brings a calmness to the team.”
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Why Martin Zubimendi will be even better at Arsenal next season
Rice is right; it is very rare to see a player hit the ground running in their first season in the Premier League after moving from La Liga.
The last Arsenal player to do it was probably Alexis Sanchez when he joined the club from Barcelona.
Even Arteta was surprised by how well Zubimendi adapted to the Premier League, and he is only going to get better.
Next season, after a whole year of learning about his teammates and adjusting to the pace, physicality and intensity of the English game, the Spain international will be much better equipped to face the challenges in front of him.
That is why we expect Zubimendi to reach a whole new level next season.
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