Arsenal are closing in on announcing their first signing of the summer transfer window, with Martin Zubimendi preparing to join the club.
The midfielder has long been on the radar of the Gunners, with Mikel Arteta keen on bringing the Spaniard to the Emirates Stadium.
The move pre-dated Andrea Berta’s arrival, but with him now in place, Arsenal are set to sign Zubimendi as the first move in his era at the club.
As it stands, Zubimendi’s medical at Arsenal is being booked soon, with the transfer announcement likely to follow shortly after.
With the £51 million move now close to completion, there will be some at Arsenal who will benefit from it and others who may struggle because of it.
So with that said, here’s a look at the winners and losers from Martin Zubimendi’s transfer switch.
Winners from Martin Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal
Declan Rice
One of the more obvious winners from Martin Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal is Declan Rice.
The club-record signing has clearly impressed since he joined the Gunners, but he isn’t without his flaws.
While he is a brilliant ball-carrier and more than capable when it comes to stopping transitions, Rice isn’t quite as comfortable receiving the ball from the backline.
The England international would benefit from being pushed into a more advanced role, leaving Zubimendi to deal with the build-up play from the back.
Martin Odegaard
As Arsenal have struggled to dictate the tempo of games at times, Martin Odegaard has often dropped deep to knit play together.
That has come at the loss of his usual playmaking abilities in the final third, which hasn’t helped at a time when Arsenal aren’t scoring many goals.
With Zubimendi there to take that pressure off of him, the club captain could find his best form again.
Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba
Two big winners to come from the signing of Zubimendi will be Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
The centre-back duo have become synonymous as a pairing in the Premier League, though they could do with some help when it comes to the build-up phase.
Zubimendi could comfortably drop in to help with that aspect, covering off any weaknesses the team has when passing from the back.
Losers from Martin Zubimendi’s transfer to Arsenal
Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey is in talks over a new Arsenal contract, but regardless of whether he stays or goes, the arrival of Zubimendi certainly doesn’t help him.
The Spaniard offers more competition for the central ranks, potentially stopping the Gunners from being so desperate to keep the Ghanaian.
If he does sign on for longer, then that competition for places may make it tough for Partey to get the minutes he would want.
Jorginho
Jorginho is set to leave Arsenal as a free agent this summer, with the Italian international moving on to a new challenge.
The midfielder was likely to leave anyway, but the arrival of Zubimendi only further cements his exit in the coming weeks.
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