ZUBIMENDI LANDS (FINALLY)

FIRST SAUCY SIGNING OF THE SUMMER

Arsenal finally pushed the action button and announced Martín Zubimendi as the first WOW signing of the summer. The Spaniard has come in to take up the position of 6 after impressing at Sociedad and with the Spanish national team.

Make no mistake, this is an epic signing—the sort that Liverpool or City normally make and you lose your damn mind because you want Arsenal to be in those conversations.

I’m not sure he’s going to be quite what we all expect. Premier League fans want their number 6s to look like warrior types in the shape of Declan Rice or Rodri. This guy is not that. He’s a thinker. A footballer’s footballer. He uses his movement to drag players out of position, his intelligence to act as a single pivot, and his ball-carrying to move through the lines with ease. His passing is exceptional, he’s outrageously press-resistant, and he is going to open up our attacking shape next year because he can truly be trusted to build the play—meaning no more Martin Ødegaard dropping into central defence to get things moving.

This is also a player who is 26 years old, and I think he represents a shift in our recruitment approach. We’ve moved away from tracking Agoumé-type players, and we’re now entering a phase where the young talent we’ve developed is getting bulked out by hardcore, finished products—designed to just slot in and pick up the slack. We’re losing two very good midfielders, which could be devastating to continuity… so we’re just not taking that chance. We are adding a world-class player who never gets injured to pick up the pieces… and really, we’re adding someone who gives us new weapons of mass destruction.

This, for me, is the most important piece of the puzzle this summer. I don’t think anyone should underestimate what we’re getting here. We’re solving the central midfield problem with a master of the game. This feels like the sort of move BIG clubs make, and I don’t always feel like that with our signings. Last summer felt like an amateur offering, and the way it played out showcased how poor planning and a lack of ownership connection screwed us.

The lessons have been learned here. We have a big name, ready for a long preseason, and this could be the difference between first and second next season.

I’m happy. You’re happy. Now let’s get some attackers in the building.