Martin Zubimendi says Arsenal have a player who’s actually similar to Lamine Yamal

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Martin Zubimendi believes Arsenal have a player in their squad who shares similarities to Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.

The Gunners have assembled an exceptional squad in the last few years, which has been significantly bolstered over the summer after Andrea Berta spent £250 million on eight new players.

Mikel Arteta now has the depth to compete on multiple fronts, and the expectation should be that the North Londoners are both in the latter stages of knockout competitions and competing for the Premier League title come April.

There have been questions as to whether Arsenal have the top-end talent to rival some of the best teams in Europe, although Zubimendi believes the Gunners have at least one player in this bracket.

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Martin Zubimendi compares Bukayo Saka to Lamine Yamal

Zubimendi arrived at Arsenal for £55 million this summer, bringing experience and technical quality to the Gunners’ squad.

The former Real Sociedad man has spent several years impressing in La Liga, while he’s also found himself featuring more regularly for Spain in the last 12 months, due to Rodri’s injury absence.

Surrounded by exceptional players in the Spanish national team, Zubimendi had a taste of playing amongst elite stars before making the switch to N5.

Having now trained and played alongside Bukayo Saka and Lamine Yamal, two of Europe’s most talented wingers, the 26-year-old is certainly well qualified to assess the two players’ levels.

Speaking on the Stadium Astro YouTube Channel, Zubimendi said that there are only ‘slight differences’ between Saka and Yamal.

“I have to ask, you see Lamine Yamal up close, you also see Bukayo Saka up close, do you see any similarities between those two?” the interviewer asked the midfielder.

“Yes, they are both obviously quality players,” Zubimendi responded.

“They both put a lot into the pitch and make a lot work on the pitch. There are slight differences, but both are great players regardless.”

Bukayo Saka’s statistics vs Lamine Yamal’s statistics

Saka is Arsenal’s best player and one of the best players in the world.

That said, Yamal’s numbers are on a different level to his English counterpart, with the young Spaniard in a different stratosphere.

As shown by the data above, the two players are comparable in several aspects, with both equally as effective at creating chances for their teammates.

Saka is also more effective at finding himself in good positions to shoot, rather than taking pot-shots, which is something that is yet to develop in Yamal’s game.

However, Yamal’s overall output is exceptional, while he’s also one of the most prolific dribblers in world football, which can’t quite be said of Saka.