LAST summer, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi was earnestly tempted by a determination to the Premier League.
Liverpool were keen to springiness caller manager Arne Slot the midfielder helium craved – an awesome ball-playing, tackle-crunching Spaniard who has been tipped to beryllium the adjacent Rodri.
Martin Zubimendi is simply a apical summertime people for ArsenalGetty
News Group Newspapers Ltd
EPAUltimately however, Slot and Liverpool were turned down, with Zubimendi persuaded to stay astatine his beloved Sociedad by his manager Imanol Alguacil and sporting manager Roberto Olabe.
They reportedly did truthful by preparing a presumption connected the pros and cons of a Prem switch, pulling connected the 26-year-old’s San Sebastian heartstrings with pictures of his favourite section tapas restaurants and upland hikes helium enjoys successful the Basque Country.
Zubimendi claimed recently: “It is wherever I consciousness astir comfortable”.
It worked, but what Alguacil and Olabe did not expect was a akin attack by Arsenal and brag Mikel Arteta – a Basque lad convincing different Basque lad to marque London his caller location adjacent play for £51m. The Gunners look to person got their man.
Arteta and Arsenal’s presentations for imaginable caller signings are thing new, leaving astir players and agents who acquisition it astounded by the level of item and attraction enactment into them, led antecedently by ex-sporting manager Edu and his adjunct Jason Ayto – present the interim.
Zubimendi was nary different, sold connected the task and imaginativeness astatine the Emirates astir instantly, arsenic good arsenic wanting to travel successful Arteta’s inspiring footsteps, having besides near his birthplace of San Sebastian for the agleam lights of Barcelona successful 1997 aged 15.
Arsenal and Sociedad besides person a large narration and respect astatine committee level, having precocious negotiated Mikel Merino’s North London accomplishment for astir £32m past summer.
It has near Liverpool and Slot gutted, and they’re not the lone ones. Real Madrid, Manchester City and Manchester United are each immense fans of the player.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
And ironically, United present get to ticker him up adjacent connected Thursday nighttime successful their Europa League past 16 archetypal limb clash distant astatine Real Sociedad.
For each the sound astir him implicit the past fewer years, Zubimendi is not a large character. He is down-to-earth, humble, astatine times adjacent shy and anxious.
It is said that portion making the determination implicit whether to motion for Liverpool, helium isolated himself astatine home, refusing to usage his telephone to afloat fastener successful connected a large determination that helium besides consulted his household over.
However, helium is simply a antithetic beast erstwhile helium steps connected the pitch. In the past summertime window, Arsenal bought Merino due to the fact that helium was a “dual monster”.
Zubimendi is not excessively acold down successful that respect.
He is aggressive, assertive. A snarling, bare jock of a antheral who covers each leaf of writer competing for space, the shot oregon a well-timed tackle.
A modern-day Claude Makelele with a sprinkling of Sergio Busquets. Put simply, Zubimendi is the cog betwixt the defence and the midfield
And close present successful Europe, helium is the closest happening to City’s Rodri.
In the Euro 2024 last against England backmost successful July, Spain were rocked by Rodri’s wounded that forced him disconnected astatine half-time. And yet, his lack was hardly felt with Zubimendi connected to regenerate him.
He is utilized to pressure. Even with the eyes of the satellite connected him days aft performing his Liverpool U-turn, helium did not miss a azygous grooming session, adjacent taking portion successful a squad photograph shoot.
He has besides had to flooded the likelihood to adjacent scope this position. In his aboriginal years astatine Sociedad, the coaches were initially not keen connected him, favouring different players and lone signing him up astatine the past infinitesimal – a determination that proved wise.
Over a decennary connected and helium is positioned to airy up different large occasion, showing United – and the remainder of England – what they tin expect should helium grace the Prem adjacent season.
Zubimendi is simply a afloat Spain internationalGetty
Getty
English (US) ·