Troy Deeney says he’s been told the real reason Arsenal signed Martin Zubimendi this summer

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Troy Deeney claims he’s been told that Martin Zubimendi has been signed by Arsenal this season to play a specific role.

Zubimendi arrived in a £55 million deal from Real Sociedad in early July, acquired as a replacement for Thomas Partey in Mikel Arteta’s squad.

The Spaniard impressed in pre-season, pulling the strings at the base of the Gunners’ midfield whilst other players flattered to deceive.

Arsenal visit Manchester United in their season curtain-raiser on Sunday, and Zubimendi will expect to make his debut in red and white, alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in a new-look midfield.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Troy Deeney claims Martin Zubimendi has been signed by Arsenal for the Champions League

Arsenal fans were ecstatic when news broke in January that they had agreed a deal for Zubimendi.

After months of waiting, the signing was finally made public near the beginning of July, with the 26-year-old becoming the Gunners’ first marquee addition of the summer.

Now that the Arsenal faithful have seen the player in their own colours, excitement about his potential impact on Arteta’s team is growing.

Speaking on the Football Exchange YouTube Channel, former Watford striker Troy Deeney claimed that Zubimendi has specifically been signed to change Arsenal’s fortunes in the Champions League.

“By all accounts, from what I’ve heard is, he [Zubimendi] was brought in for the Champions League, to dictate the games and to be more tempo-driven.

“Again, I watched him a couple of times in person. Obviously, when he played against Man United in the Europa League, I was able to be at those games.”

Zubimendi will undoubtedly play a lot of minutes in the Premier League, but Deeney’s claim that he could make the most difference in Europe is valid.

The game is generally slower in European football, particularly against lesser sides in the League Phase, and the Spain international’s slick passing will therefore be well suited to dictating the pace of the Gunners’ build-up in this competition.

Martin Zubimendi’s statistics 2024/25

Zubimendi’s data is not actually overly impressive.

The deep-lying playmaker is an above-average progressive passer, whilst doing a solid amount of defensive work.

These numbers point to a player who is generally well-rounded, but not exceptional in any specific area of the game.

However, Zubimendi was deployed in a very functional, counter-attacking system at Real Sociedad, and his numbers may improve in a more possession-oriented side at the Emirates.

The midfield maestro’s biggest strength is platforming other players on the pitch by the way in which he makes himself available for a pass and positions himself to make defensive actions that don’t stop the game.

The numbers don’t necessarily capture his quality, which will be on show all season.