How Zubimendi could be the missing piece in Arteta's jigsaw at Arsenal

On Sunday evening in the aftermath of the Nations League final, all of the talk was about Cristiano Ronaldo and how far this ageing Portugal squad could go in the future.

One of the best performances of the night, from Spain and Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, seemed to pass under the radar for most.

Aside from his goal in the 21st minute, which opened the scoring, the 26-year-old completed 101 of 107 passes for a completion stat of 94.4%. Though fellow midfielder Pedri offered up a perfect 100% pass accuracy, he made just 52 passes by comparison.

Zubimendi's positional awareness is peerless

Zubimendi was, as has become customary for club (Real Sociedad) and country, everywhere.

He won't get many goals - just two for La Real and two for Spain in 2024/25 - but that isn't and has never been his forte.

With an innate sense of positional awareness, the Spaniard is as adept at controlling games as a deep-lying playmaker as he is at undertaking a more defensive role to protect the back four as required.

Portugal's Goncalo Ramos and Spain's Martin Zubimendi during the 2025 Nations League finalČTK / imago sportfotodienst / Ulrich Wagner

His use of the ball is imperious, as can be seen by his passing stats, which were as high as 93.2% for Spain during the past 12 months. 84.4% in LaLiga for Sociedad is still at the very highest level when you consider that he made a mammoth 1479 successful passes (from 1,752 attempted).

Aside from the Spanish connection at Arsenal, it was obvious that the Gunners were always going to be interested in his services were he to become available, because his skill set is exactly what the north Londoners require.

To the player's credit, he had rebuffed all offers over the last couple of seasons, though it would appear that he feels that now is the right time to test himself elsewhere.

Sociedad connection already at Arsenal

Having already signed Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, and with manager Mikel Arteta also having been born in San Sebastian and having a brief association with his hometown club, there's a persuasive narrative for the player before he even pulls on a red shirt.

11th-hour suggestions that Real Madrid, who now have another ex-Sociedad man in charge in Xabi Alonso, had gazumped the north Londoners appear to have been wide of the mark.

Martin Zubimendi's attacking ball carries 2024/25Opta by StatsPerform

Major Spanish media outlets have apparently noted that Los Blancos themselves have played down stories emanating from elsewhere, giving Arsenal a free run at a player they've coveted for years.

Whilst his versatility opens up a number of options for Arteta, it's his ability to receive the ball under pressure and still be able to find time and space to open up the passing lanes that will be of huge benefit to a Gunners squad that have sometimes struggled to be more vertical in their transitions from defence to attack.

Martin Zubimendi radar graphic 2024/25Opta by StatsPerform

Should Arsenal play a 4-3-3, for example, we could expect to find Zubimendi in the central, deeper role as a number six, with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard slotting in on either side.

Even sitting slightly more defensively, the Spaniard will pop off balls with ease, and always with the purpose of moving the ball and the team up the pitch.

Zubimendi's role could free up Rice

A metronomic way of playing that's not unlike the great Barcelona midfielders will also prove to be the thing that can (and will almost certainly) help to unlock even the tightest of opposition defences.

Moreover, it keeps Rice in a more forward position, where he's proven beyond doubt to be his more natural habitat. The chance to add more goals to his resume would also surely appeal to the former West Ham captain and his current manager.

Should Arteta finally sign the striker that Arsenal have needed for at least the past couple of seasons with Benjamin Sesko still apparently high up on the agenda, it could see a switch to a 4-2-3-1 at times, which would likely see Zubimendi partner Rice in a double pivot, sat behind a creative No.10 and two wide men.

Either role is likely to come easily to the 26-year-old, who has thrived on the responsibility of driving his team forward whilst ensuring his back four remains protected as much as possible.

A player who makes everyone better

Even if a Premier League switch might seem to be a big step up, Zubimendi is one of those rare breeds of players whose quality makes everyone around him better.

Frankly, Arsenal have lacked this type of player for far too long, and once his signing has been confirmed by the Gunners, it won't take the Emirates Stadium faithful long to understand exactly why Arteta has coveted him for an age and why the club has worked so hard to bring him to the English top-flight.

It's such an important and necessary signing, in fact, that it could be the one which finally tips the balance in Arsenal's favour in terms of landing their first Premier League title in over two decades.