Arsenal have announced the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi for £51million to mark their first significant outlay of the summer transfer window.
Zubimendi, 26, has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners, who were able to beat Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City to his signature.
The Spanish international has long been courted by Mikel Arteta’s side, who have now finally managed to land one of their key targets.
Arsenal confirmed the signing of Zubimendi in a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday afternoon.
Zubimendi’s arrival will come as a huge boost to Arsenal’s midfield, which has undergone a reshuffle following the departures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho.
The Spaniard made 180 appearances in LaLiga for Real Sociedad after coming through their academy setup and has 18 caps for the Spanish national team.
Arsenal have announced the signing of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi for £51million
Zubimendi, 26, has signed a five-year deal with the Gunners in what marks their first significant spending of the summer
The signing will come as a boost to Mikel Arteta as he looks to propel Arsenal to a first Premier League title in two decades
His arrival in north London will see him reunite with Mikel Merino, who also left the Basque Country for the Emirates Stadium last summer.
While MailSport exclusively revealed in January that Arsenal had landed Zubimendi, the LaLiga side did not want to lose such a key player in the middle of the season.
Their stance, coupled with Arteta’s desire to sign Merino, explains why Zubimendi has only now joined.
His arrival will come as a significant boost to Gunners fans hoping for a first title in 22 years next campaign – following three successive second-placed finishes under Arteta.
With Premier League champions Liverpool announcing Florian Wirtz as their club-record signing earlier on in the window – in addition to the signings of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez – Arsenal have now made their first statement of intent.
It would be a major surprise if Zubimendi were the north Londoners’ only major signing of the window, as they appear keen to bolster their options in attack.
They have been linked with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyokeres but are yet to make an offer for either player.
Their desire to strengthen in wide areas has also seen them linked with the likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Chelsea winger Noni Madueke.
But sporting director Andrea Berta, who is overseeing his first transfer window at the club, has not lost sight of the importance of tying down existing talents.
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