Arsenal are close to wrapping up their first summer signing as Martin Zubimendi closes in on a switch to the club.
The Gunners have been looking to land the Spaniard for some time, having been confident of landing him all the way back in January.
With the summer transfer window now approaching, Andrea Berta is putting the finishing touches on Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal.
As it stands, Zubimendi is set to have his Arsenal medical in the near future, with all of the paperwork already signed and sealed.
All that seems left to do, after that point, is make it all official, with the 26-year-old ready to get down to business.
In joining up with Arsenal, there will be a chance to reunite with Mikel Merino, who will have plenty to say about his first year at the club.
Mikel Merino’s claim as an Arsenal player could resonate with Martin Zubimendi
The path from Real Sociedad to Arsenal is one that is well-worn at this point, with Mikel Merino the latest to make that move.
With his old teammate, Martin Zubimendi, preparing to make the same move, there will no doubt be some contact over what life is like in North London.
Merino’s assessment of joining Arsenal back in October perhaps sums it up best when he said: “It was amazing. As a player, when a club as big as Arsenal are interested in you – I mean, you don’t think twice when these things happen.
“Obviously the culture is amazing here, the coaches, the fans, everything has been like a dream so far, so it’s amazing.”
That may well be part of what sold Zubimendi on joining Arsenal over Real Madrid or their other rivals.
There are plenty of other parts that the Spaniard will have to get used to as well, though.
Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi will be battling for a place at Arsenal
While it will be nice for Merino to have one of his old club teammates back with him at Arsenal, there will be fiercer competition for a place in the team.
Merino has endured a tough first season at the Emirates Stadium, having suffered an injury early on after his switch.
With the likes of Thomas Partey, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard ahead of him in the pecking order, it seemed as though the Spaniard would struggle for game time.
That changed after Kai Havertz’s injury, which thrust him into a centre-forward position in unexpected style.
While he impressed there, the expectation is that Merino will return to midfield for next season, which he already found tough to compete in.
Add the signing of Zubimendi, then it could be a challenging season ahead in those central ranks.
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