Arsenal Secure Zubimendi Signing in Major Midfield Reinforcement
Arsenal have officially completed the signing of Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for a fee approaching £60 million.
Zubimendi becomes the club’s second acquisition of the current summer window, following the earlier arrival of goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea in a deal valued at £5 million.
The Gunners are also actively pursuing Sporting CP forward Viktor Gyökeres, with negotiations ongoing over a potential £70 million move.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who came through Real Sociedad’s youth setup and made 236 senior appearances—scoring 10 times—has signed a five-year contract with the North London club.
“This is a huge moment in my career,” Zubimendi stated. “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.”
Zubimendi was part of the Real Sociedad side that exited the Europa League following a 4–1 loss at Old Trafford last season, where they eventually finished 11th in La Liga. On the international stage, he contributed to Spain’s triumphant Euro 2024 campaign, coming on at halftime in the final to replace Rodri, as Mikel Oyarzabal netted the winning goal against England.
Having earned 19 international caps, Zubimendi gained prominence during Rodri’s absence due to a knee injury. He also found the net in the Nations League final against Portugal, though Spain ultimately fell short in the penalty shootout.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta shared his excitement over the deal, stating: “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 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.”
In addition, Arsenal have agreed a £10 million fee with Brentford for Danish midfielder Christian Nørgaard.
