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The Guardian
11 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Arsenal sign £50m-plus Martín Zubimendi after seeing off Real Madrid interest
Arsenal have confirmed the arrival of Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad on a five-year contract. The Spain international, who turned down Liverpool last summer, was heavily linked with Real Madrid in recent weeks despite being understood in March to have a pre-agreement to join Arsenal. With Mikel Arteta having made the 26-year-old his primary midfield target as Arsenal attempt to bridge the gap after three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League, Zubimendi's signing represents a major boost after the departures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey at the end of their contacts last week. Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault – allegations he denies – three days after leaving. Arsenal are believed to have been searching for midfield replacements since last summer, with Zubimendi emerging as their preferred option thanks to his impressive displays for Real Sociedad and Spain. Their attempts to sign him last summer alongside Mikel Merino – who left Real Sociedad for about £32m – are understood to have been rejected because the Spanish side did not want to lose both players in the same transfer window. Arsenal were able to secure a pre-agreement in March after continuing talks. The fee is believed to be slightly more than his release clause of £51m after they fought off late interest from Madrid, whose new manager, Xabi Alonso, coached Zubimendi for Real Sociedad's B side. 'Once I made the decision to leave, I set my sights on Arsenal because I think their style of play is a good fit for me,' Zubimendi told Arsenal's website. 'It's a young, highly motivated and ambitious team. They have shown their potential recently, and I believe the best is yet to come.' Brentford's Christian Nørgaard is also expected to complete his move to Arsenal after the clubs agreed a deal worth up to £15m, and Arsenal are understood to have discussed personal terms with Chelsea's Noni Madueke and are weighing up whether to bid for the England international. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Arteta said of Zubimendi: 'Martín is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us. The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.'
Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
July 6 (Reuters) - Arsenal have signed defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said on Sunday as the club reinforced a key position weakened by departures last month. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reports said the 26-year-old had a 60 million euros ($70.67 million) release clause at Sociedad where he had a contract until 2027. Zubimendi is Arsenal's second recruit in the close-season after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen a squad that can get over the line in the title race after finishing runners-up in the last three Premier League seasons. "This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are," Zubimendi said in a statement. "I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come." Zubimendi's arrival is a welcome reinforcement for Arsenal in midfield after Jorginho and Thomas Partey left at the end of their contracts last month. Renowned for his mobility, his deep-lying playmaking skills as well as his defensive nous, Zubimendi will give Arsenal's midfield a measure of steel while also controlling the tempo in the role of a number six. His arrival would potentially allow Declan Rice, Arsenal's player of the season, to play in an advanced role alongside skipper Martin Odegaard. With Spain, Zubimendi won the European Championship in 2024, coming on for the injured Rodri in the final to help secure the trophy, while he also scored in the Nations League final earlier this month when they lost to Portugal on penalties. Getting Zubimendi on board early would also give Arteta time to work with him in pre-season ahead of a tough opening spell in the Premier League next season. Arsenal play Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Newcastle United in their first six games of the campaign. ($1 = 0.8490 euros)
Powys County Times
11 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Arsenal sign Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi
Arsenal have signed midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. The Spain international, 26, moves to the Emirates Stadium on a long-term deal after the Gunners reportedly triggered his £51million release clause. Euro 2024 winner Zubimendi had previously been a target for Liverpool and was also linked with Real Madrid. Martin Zubimendi, right, played against England in the Euro 2024 final (Adam Davy/PA) Zubimendi told the club website: 'This is a huge moment in my career. It's the move I was looking for and one I wanted to make. As soon as you set foot here, you realise how big this club and this team are. 'I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me. They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.' Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is confident Zubimendi can help reinforce his midfield options, having seen Thomas Partey's contract expire and Jorginho also leave the club. 'Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us,' Arteta said. 'The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Arsenal (@arsenal) A graduate of the Sociedad academy system, Zubimendi made 236 appearances for the club in all competitions at senior level and helped the team lift the delayed 2019-20 Copa del Rey with victory over Athletic Bilbao. He was also involved as Sociedad finished fourth in the 2022-23 season – their highest league finish – to reach the Champions League for only the third time in their history. The midfielder has been capped 19 times by Spain, where he was part of the squad who won the Nations League in 2023 and became European champions last year after beating England in the final. Zubimendi becomes Arsenal's second signing this summer after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga joined from Chelsea. The Gunners are also expected to complete the signing of Christian Norgaard, with the Brentford captain looking set to join for a reported £10m with a potential £5m of add-ons.
