Why Arsenal's new £51m man Martin Zubimendi is a coup for Mikel Arteta

Liverpool thought he was their man. Manchester City had him on their long-list to fill a Rodri-shaped hole in Pep Guardiola’s midfield. Champions of Europe Real Madrid also sniffed around the situation.

So be under no illusion: Arsenal winning the race to sign Martin Zubimendi, the European Championship-winning midfielder of Real Sociedad, is an almighty coup.

Zubimendi is a down-to-earth character born and bred in the same region as Mikel Arteta, a true son of San Sebastian who reneged on a decision to join Liverpool this summer mainly due to his reluctance to leave the place he calls home.

The Premier League leaders believed they had Zubimendi’s word and sources in Spain at the time said it went as far as the player talking to Arne Slot. But the Spanish club went on the charm offensive and persuaded him to stay.

Mail Sport revealed at the time that coach Imanol Alguacil and departing director of football Roberto Olabe prepared a presentation on the pros and cons of a move abroad, tugging on his heartstrings about why life is better in San Sebastian.

Zubimendi, a keen mountain climber, was shown pictures of Monte Urgell – one of several peaks to hike in the area – and told that nowhere in England will replicate the pintxos or local tapas varieties he enjoys in the Basque Country.

He was also said to be wary of being stung by an interview he gave after starring in the Euros final for victors Spain, where he talked about how much he loved his life at La Real.

But when it became clear the move to Liverpool was not going to happen, the door was never fully shut on him leaving the club – it was left ajar and postponed. By now, the Reds had moved on and Slot realised he had his perfect No 6 all along in Ryan Gravenberch, who has improved tenfold this season.

All this paints an illustration of how hard it was to tempt Zubimendi, 25, out of his boyhood club. Credit must therefore go to Arsenal and interim sporting director Jason Ayto. Arteta, a fellow son of San Sebastian, undoubtedly also played an integral role.

Given the U-turn in the summer on a deal to join Liverpool, Arsenal fans may not truly celebrate this signing until he is pictured holding the red shirt aloft next to Arteta. It is understood he ‘isolated’ when making the decision back then, not leaving the house or going on his phone so he could focus on himself.

‘They were uncomfortable moments for me, because, as is normal, people talk a lot,’ he recalled earlier this season.

‘But, anyway, you think about the pros and cons carefully, and you come to the conclusion that, well, for me the best thing was to stay at Real.’

Is he what Arsenal need right now? No. In fact, the last thing Gunners fans are calling for is yet another intricate, workman-like, passer of the ball in the middle – despite the fact this could change if Jorginho and Thomas Partey were to depart the club.

But signing Zubimendi does not mean a No 9 will not join as well – in fact, it signals their intent to progress, which could tempt a striker to follow him to north London. It also significantly upgrades an ailing midfield department.

Zubimendi is not perfect and will not solve all of the Gunners’ problems overnight. He was not ready to start the Euros final - though he did replace an injured Rodri at half-time and put in a masterful display as Spain took down England - and even at 25 has some way to go to be a world-beater.

Speaking of Rodri, those in Spain see Zubimendi as the next prince of their long line of fine holding midfielders.

Guardiola, Sergio Busquets, Rodri and now Zubimendi. He is also from the same region as the great conductor Xabi Alonso and has been described as the ‘Gen Z Busquets’ by one media outlet.

He is firm in the tackle, peerless in possession and can play across the midfield – though holding deep as a metronome, not too dissimilar from late-career Arteta, is his best role.

Zubimendi also fits a recent them of targeting Sociedad players - it is of course the club where Arteta grew up alongside Xabi Alonso dreaming of playing in the first team. They signed Mikel Merino from the Basque club last summer, Martin Odegaard revived his career there on loan from Real Madrid shortly before switching to north London and, of course, Alexander Isak first piqued Arsenal's interest at Sociedad before moving to Newcastle.

And the thing that will please set-piece-loving Arsenal: Zubimendi's only goal this season came from a corner.