Arteta hits gold on the Arsenal star, worth millions more than Zubimendi

There are still two Premier League matches, but for all intent and purpose, Arsenal’s season ended on Wednesday night.

Plus, while Mikel Arteta and the players still have to give them everything for these two games, Champions League football is still not secured – it’s clear that the club is looking forward to next season.

For example, just a few days after his disappointment in Paris, expert Fabrizio Romano finally gave Martin Zubimendi’s long-awaited move “go here” treatment to Arsenal.

Details still need to be finalized, but Spanish International is set to join the gunners for around £51 million in the summer.

Why Arsenal wants Zubimendi

Before you reach the player in question, it’s worth looking into why Arsenal wants to sign Zubimendi in the first place.

First of all, he helps pad out the team’s sixth place position. As Thomas Party reportedly is in discussions with the club over the New Deal, Jorgignho will join Flamengo on the Brazilian side in the summer.

However, Arteta and Co are clearly interested in Spanish international for more than that, including his defensive Nous.

For example, according to FBREF, the “Elite Tempo Controller,” dubbed by analyst Ben Matinson, sits in the top 6% of the midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League.

But in addition to his defensive abilities, the “world-class” midfielder, dubbed by former teammate Kieran Tierney, is not just about having extensive experience and, more importantly, proven himself in high pressure games.

For example, he made 233 appearances for Sociedaddo’s first team, including 90 minutes in the club’s 2020 Copa del Rey victory, earning 15 caps in Spain.

Overall, Zubimendi’s technical and defensive capabilities, coupled with his winning experience when pressure is underway, look like an ideal midfield acquisition for Arsenal this summer, even if he’s worth millions more than one of his future teammates.

Arsenal Star worth millions more than Zubimendi

Partey and Mikel Merino have played a key role in Arsenal this season, but neither of them have a higher rating than Zubimendi.

Conversely, Declan Rice believes that TransharkMarkt valued him at 110 million euros, which is about £903 million, or £42 million more than Sociedad Star would cost Gunners.

Now that’s definitely a lot of money for the central midfielder, but it’s hard to say he’s not proven to be worthy of that this year, as Sky Sports’ Jamie Carrager describes him as the club’s “best player of the season.”

That may sound a bit hyperbolic, but such comments are backed up by the statistics of the Midfield Monster this year.

For example, in 50 appearances, the “Monster” British dubbed by Arsenal writer Connor Ham, scored eight goals and provided 10 assists.

Additionally, FBREF has made him into the top 5% of the midfielders of progressive carry and corner kicks in Europe’s top 5 leagues, top 6% of carry in the penalty area, top 7% of crosses, top 8% of assists, top 10% of assists, all around 90.

Ultimately, signing Zubimendi is very exciting and shows real ambitions from Arsenal, but to see his rating match rice, it must be truly sensational in North London.