Arsenal are looking to rebuild their midfield in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners lack prime-age players in the middle of the park, with the majority either in the latter stages of their career or very young.
The likes of Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino are on the wrong side of 28, while Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are still teenagers.
Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard need someone to accompany them who is also in the prime of their career, and it looks as though the North Londoners have secured that player.
Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi
Jorginho has agreed on a move to Flamengo, meaning the Gunners at the very least need a direct replacement for the Italian.
Thomas Partey could yet sign a new deal, although a prospective new contract for the Ghanaian is yet to be agreed.
It was reported in January that Arsenal will trigger Martin Zubimendi’s £51 million release clause, and it looks as though this will now materialise.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Spaniard has verbally agreed to sign a long-term deal at the Emirates, and the Gunners will activate the clause soon.
Zubimendi will become the first signing made by new technical director Andrea Berta, and will join up with Arsenal’s squad in pre-season.
Is Martin Zubimendi the right signing for Arsenal?
It’s been well-documented that Zubimendi would arrive at Arsenal this summer, with the player seemingly identified by the Emirates hierarchy as the primary midfield target some time ago.
A solid La Liga midfielder, there are some question marks around the 26-year-old.
The perception is that he’s a graceful deep-lying playmaker who breaks lines with penetrative passes and dictates the tempo of the game.
| Zubimendi’s La Liga Statistics 2024/25 | |
| Appearances | 32 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.34 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.30 |
| Pass Accuracy | 83.2% |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 5.92 |
| Key Passes per 90 | 0.57 |
| Expected Assists per 90 | 0.04 |
While these qualities may become more apparent in a more possession-based team, he hasn’t yet displayed an ability to play this role, instead playing a lot of lower value passes deep in the pitch.
He actually stands out on the defensive side, with his ability to read the game and make tackles and interceptions to stop opposition attacks more impressive than what he does on the ball.
The questions will be around whether there is a more complete player available on the market who would have cost less.
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