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Arsenal have completed the signing of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in a deal worth almost £60m.
The Spain midfielder is the Gunners’ second signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrival of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea for £5m.
The 26-year-old, who rejected an approach from Liverpool last summer, came through the ranks at Real Sociedad before becoming a regular in their first team.
The deep-lying midfielder – who played 236 times for the Spanish club, scoring 10 goals – has signed a five-year deal.
Zubimendi helped his country win Euro 2024, coming on for Manchester City’s Rodri at half-time in the final against England as Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal claimed the trophy for Spain.
He has 19 caps and has become a regular for Spain as a result of Rodri being sidelined last season by a serious knee injury.
Zubimendi scored in the recent Nations League final against Portugal before Spain lost on penalties.
Paying more than the release clause
For Arsenal, the beginning of the end of Zubimendi’s signing began in the scorching heat of Spain’s south coast as long ago as last June.
In truth, though, the journey culminating in the midfielder’s arrival at Emirates Stadium was spawned well in advance of that covert visit to Andalusia last summer.
Mikel Arteta had watched Zubimendi extensively. He was taken by his ability to execute the full passing repertoire with precision and timing.
A controller of matches, Zubimendi became an obsession for the Arsenal head coach.
With that in mind, a delegation from the Emirates, including then sporting director Edu and his number two Jason Ayto, flew to Marbella for a meeting with counterparts from Real Sociedad.
To greet them in Spain was Roberto Alabe, the La Liga club’s then sporting director, and president Jokin Aperribay.
For Edu and Ayto, the primary aim of their deployment was to strike a deal for Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who was an immediate target for Arsenal.
But then arrived the curveball.
Arsenal’s recruitment heads explained that, while they wanted to sign Merino before the 2024-25 season, they also had designs on midfield partner Zubimendi.
But here was the catch – they wanted to sign Zubimendi in the summer of 2025. Their finances last summer would not allow them to do both.
There was the added complication of Liverpool’s interest in the 26-year-old.
Recently appointed Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes had entered into negotiations with Sociedad over a move Zubimendi to the point where the Anfield club believed they were close to tying up the deal.
Working with Arteta – and being reunited with Merino and former Sociedad midfielder Martin Odegaard – was a prospect Zubimendi was captivated by.
Equally, Zubimendi and his representatives made it clear they wanted to be respectful to Liverpool. The scenario of any news leaking out of the Spaniard turning down a move to Anfield in favour of the Emirates was one all parties were keen to avoid.
Nevertheless, Edu and Ayto departed Marbella with an agreement in principle for both Merino and Zubimendi.
In terms of the Zubimendi deal, Arsenal expressed their preference to pay more than the player’s £51m release clause in order to spread the cost of the fee.
Release clauses in Spain require the purchasing club to deposit the agreed fee in full in one payment – a scenario Arsenal wanted to avoid.
It is one of the reasons Arsenal have not acted upon their interest in Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, who has a 58m euro (£50m) release clause.
Fear Real could scupper deal
As early as last June, Arsenal were getting wind of Real Madrid’s interest in then Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso, who remains a major admirer of Zubimendi, to replace the incumbent Carlo Ancelotti.
It was a situation the Gunners feared could scupper their plan to sign Zubimendi, despite the agreement struck by all parties that the player would join this summer.
The fact Zubimendi and Alonso are clients of the same agency was also a dynamic that provided Arsenal with cause for concern, despite leaving Spain with the player’s word that he would join.
With that in mind, Arsenal knew they needed to complete the formalities of the deal as quickly as possible.
As summer moved into autumn there was still no tangible confirmation that Madrid – with or without Alonso – would make a move for Zubimendi.
Edu’s decision to leave Arsenal in November left the formal aspects of the deal to be executed by Ayto, who would be elevated to the position of acting sporting director after the Brazilian’s exit.
In January, Ayto – alongside director of football operations James King – took charge of completing the finals stages of the deal by overseeing the verification of all the relevant paperwork for Zubimendi to join, pending a successful medical.
Alonso’s confirmation as Real head coach set the rumour mill into overdrive. One Spanish newspaper splashed a picture of Zubimendi across their front page accompanied with a story citing that Real were launching a swoop for the midfielder.
Ultimately, however, any talk of Real hijacking Arsenal’s move has been redundant. The deal was done – it has been for more than six months.
Zubimendi has stayed true to his word – not that it was ever in doubt from those at Arsenal involved in the deal.
The player arrived in London at the end of June to visit the club’s London Colney training ground to meet his colleagues and carry out media duties in preparation for his official unveiling.
He has become the first significant signing of Andrea Berta’s reign as sporting director.
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