Arsenal signs Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
The transfer fee wasn't disclosed but the BBC reported Arsenal has paid almost 60 million pounds ($82 million) for the 26-year-old Zubimendi.
The holding midfielder made 236 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad after coming through the club's academy. He played there alongside Mikel Merino, who joined Arsenal last year.
Zubimendi has played 19 games for Spain, including coming on as a half-time substitute in the 2-1 win over England in the 2024 European Championship final.
'I set my sights on Arsenal because their style of play is a good fit for me," Zubimendi said. "They have shown their potential recently and the best is yet to come.'
Arsenal has finished second in the Premier League in each of the past three seasons.
'Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, a fellow Spaniard. 'He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us.'
Zubimendi slots into the squad in place of Thomas Partey, whose contract expired this summer. On Friday, Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, British police said.
___
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ola Aina signs new three-year Nottingham Forest contract
Ola Aina has committed his future to Nottingham Forest by signing a new three-year contract until 2028. The Athletic reported in November that Forest were in advanced talks with Aina over a new deal, with his contract set to expire next summer after a one-year extension clause was activated when the club were confirmed to have avoided relegation last season. Advertisement Aina joined Forest in July 2023 on a one-year deal after his contract expired at Serie A side Torino. He featured regularly at left-back in his first campaign as Forest escaped relegation to finish 17th in the league. Forest activated the option to extend Aina's contract by an additional year in May 2024 and the Nigeria international has continued to be a valuable part of Nuno Espirito Santo's defence, this time on the right flank. Aina made 37 appearances in all competitions in the 2024-25 season as Forest finished seventh in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup semi-finals. The 28-year-old has made 59 appearances for Forest in total, scoring three times and providing two assists. Forest also signed Chris Wood to a new deal during the 2024-25 season and extended centre-back Murillo's contract until 2029. Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo also signed a new contract in June, extending his stay with the club until 2028. Aina came through Chelsea's academy and went on to make six appearances for the first team. He spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Championship side Hull City before being loaned to Torino for the following season. The Italian team took up their option to sign him permanently in June 2019 and he went on to make 113 appearances for the club in all competitions. He returned to west London for the 2020-21 season, spending the campaign on loan at Fulham. Despite appearing for England at various youth levels, the London-born Aina was called up to the Nigeria senior team for the first time in 2017 and has won 40 caps for the side. ()
Hamilton Spectator
12 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hülkenberg's long wait is over after first podium finish in his 239th F1 race
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Fifteen years, 239 races, one trophy. Nico Hülkenberg finally made it onto the podium with third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. That ended the longest wait in career starts for a driver before claiming a top-three finish in Formula 1 history. To do this, he had to hold off none other than Lewis Hamilton, so often unbeatable in Britain. 'I was thinking that he's going to give it all here in front of his home crowd,' Hülkenberg said. 'And I was like: 'Sorry, guys, but it's also my day.'' Starting from 19th on the grid, a perfectly judged drive in the rain and smart strategy saw the 37-year-old German outperform his uncompetitive Sauber car as other contenders span off the road. He showed off his attacking skill by overtaking Lance Stroll for third and then had the toughest test of all, holding off seven-time champion Hamilton, who'd won his home race nine times. 'It's pretty surreal and to be honest, not sure how it all happened. Obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race,' Hülkenberg said. He was mobbed by his Sauber team after climbing out of the car and before climbing up to the podium to receive a long-awaited trophy. Hülkenberg made his F1 debut in 2010. In 2011 and for three years from 2020 through 2022, he was without a full-time race drive at all, except for a few emergency call-ups when other drivers caught COVID-19. Down the years, he's raced for many teams but never a true contender — Williams, Force India, Sauber, Force India again, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber again. His previous best race result was a fourth place in 2013 and another in 2016. It was the first podium finish for Sauber since Kamui Kobayashi was third at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2012, and the first podium finish for any German driver in F1 since Sebastian Vettel in 2021. Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda now has the most races of any current driver without a podium at 99, but Hülkenberg still holds the all-time record for most races without a win. ___ AP auto racing:
Hamilton Spectator
12 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Euro 2025: Norway's Graham Hansen overcomes Finland with late goal in 2-1 win
SION, Switzerland (AP) — Norway did it again at the Women's European Championship on Sunday with another 2-1 win, this time over impressive Finland after being outshined for much of the game. Caroline Graham Hansen provided the class Norway often lacked, deciding the game in the 84th minute with a cross that turned into a shot ending in the Finland net off a post. Norway's Barcelona forward had forced an own-goal from Finland defender Eva Nyström in the third minute after excellent play on the right wing. Oona Sevenius deservedly leveled for Finland in the 32nd, showing fine balance to direct a rising left-foot shot from 16 yards (meters). Finland's tidy play had impressed more than Norway's more star-studded lineup for much of the game, just as Switzerland did in the first half of Norway's opening 2-1 win four days earlier. 'This result was brutal after the performance,' Finland coach Marko Saloranta said in translated comments. 'They have these world class strikers and you cannot give an opponent in such a game two goals.' Norway now sits atop Group A with six points and Finland is on three, from its opening-day 1-0 win over Iceland. Norway will go to the quarterfinals as Group A winner if Iceland does not beat host Switzerland in the later game Sunday. Finland's quality For all its tidy play, Finland was lucky not to go two goals down. Norway struck the crossbar and a post from back-to-back corners, then star forward Ada Hegerberg was denied by goalkeeper Anna Koivunen's brave blocking save. Finland leveled with a high-class finish by Sevenius after Norway was again robbed of the ball in its own half by effective pressing. Finland dominated play midway through the second half and forced Norway goalkeeper Cecilie Fiskerstrand into diving saves from shots by Katariina Kosola and Eveliina Sumannen, whose effort was tipped on to a post. Norway rallied late in the game and Graham Hansen wasted a clear chance in the 81st by scooping a shot too high with so much time to choose her spot. It was easier than the chance she would score three minutes later. Next games Norway finishes its group-stage program against Iceland on Thursday, when Finland plays host Switzerland The eventual group winner will go to Geneva on July 16 to play the first quarterfinal against the runner-up in Spain's Group B. ___ AP soccer:
