Gilberto Silva says he actually had no idea who ‘world-class’ player was before he joined Arsenal

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Arsenal signed eight new players in the summer transfer window.

There was a lot of expectation on Andrea Berta’s shoulders after he replaced Edu Gaspar, but it’s safe to say that he has exceeded all expectations.

Kepa Arrizabalaga was the first to arrive, and he was followed by Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze. Piero Hincapie was then signed on loan on deadline day.

Arsenal fans were aware of most of the above names, but Gilberto Silva had no clue who one player was – Zubimendi.

Gilberto Silva says he didn’t know Martin Zubimendi before he joined Arsenal

Arsenal struck a deal with Real Sociedad to sign Zubimendi in July.

The Spaniard was on the Gunners’ radar for a long time, but he was impossible to land in previous windows – not just for Arsenal but for everyone else.

Jason Ayto did well to convince Zubimendi to join the Gunners, and Berta then wrapped up the deal once the summer window opened.

The 26-year-old has been amazing for the North Londoners. He has been so good that many Arsenal fans are hailing Zubimendi as ‘world-class’ following his performances.

Gilberto, who knows a thing or two about being an elite defensive midfielder, has been impressed too, but he admitted that he wasn’t aware of Zubimendi before he became a Gunner.

He told GiveMeSport: “Zubimendi, to be honest, I didn’t know him before he came to Arsenal, but I’ve seen him in pre-season this year in Asia.

“When I see midfielders, the first thing I observe is the positioning – how they position themselves on the field. For me, central midfielders who don’t know how to position themselves to protect the back four and to give support to the guys in front of them, to facilitate their work, he’s missing something.

“He [Zubimendi] manages to do this very well. Also, he has very good passing. He’s been a big plus for Arsenal. He came, Thomas Partey left, but him and Declan [Rice] have become a new partnership in the middle, which is working very well.”

Martin Zubimendi is the signing of the summer

Arsenal signing Zubimendi in the summer didn’t make as much noise as it should’ve.

Multiple reports from England and Spain had made it clear to fans months in advance that this deal was happening, so there wasn’t much excitement when it was announced.

However, Zubimendi is proving to be the signing of the summer with his performances – not just at Arsenal but across Europe, according to Martin Keown.

What’s incredible is that Arsenal fans haven’t even seen the best of the Spaniard yet. He is still adapting to the system and his teammates.

Once he is fully settled in, we have a feeling that Zubimendi will be in the conversation when people are talking about the best midfielder in the Premier League.