MARTIN ZUBIMENDI could be the midfield piece that unlocks the rest of Arsenal.
The 26-year-old has reportedly this summer, having a year ago.
has been a long-term target for given his impressive performances for Real Sociedad.
And it is believed that he could strike up the perfect partnership with in the middle.
But how could he transform the team as a whole?
SunSport has looked at the midfielder’s top attributes.
CONTROLLING SPACE
When there was a sense that were signing the next top defensive midfielder to sit at the base of their midfield for years to come.
That was a mis-profiling and a misunderstanding of what Rice is as a player.
He is at his best when allowed to play in a more progressive and box-to-box role, driving forward and affecting the game.
The club then signed Mikel Merino to sit behind Rice and allow him to become this version of himself, but it turned out that Merino was not the type to sit and control play.
That is why the potential signing of Zubimendi makes a great deal of sense.
Zubimendi is a midfielder who controls the game both in and out of possession.
He is comfortable as a lone six at the base of the midfield, despite being perhaps undersized for that role, or as a defensive eight in a two man midfield and he controls space out of possession.
His reading of the game and ability to react to threat and close down quickly over larger spaces allows his teams to be more expansive in terms of pressing higher up the pitch.
We see this above as Real Sociedad are defending in a 4-4-2 block. The front two are stepping off and giving the man in possession time and he is able to split them with a pass to the next level.
It is Zubimendi who reacts to this threat first and jumps to press and engage the player receiving the ball.
Having a player who can defend in space in this manner and who has the defensive discipline to control large areas of space would help Arsenal to unlock the full potential of both Rice and , who could then play more freely as advanced central midfielders with Zubimendi in behind them.
This would also allow Arsenal to play in higher positions because they have the defensive security at the base of the midfield.
In order to be effective in this manner though, Zubimendi has to be effective in winning duels.
He is quick to close and engage but he also wants to put immediate pressure on the ball and win it back high and early.
Above we see Zubimendi moving quickly to engage with the ball and close down the space. This time he does so higher up the pitch, allowing his team to be positioned higher.
The signing of Zubimendi would bring a profile that Arsenal are missing from their midfield.
DICTATING THE TEMPO
When they are in the possession phase, Arsenal are also missing a sitting midfielder that can control the tempo and focus of their attack.
They still have in their squad as a player that fits the profile but his diminishing athletic and physical profile means that Arteta does not trust him in bigger matches or moments. This is another area of the game where Zubimendi brings notable value to Arsenal.
While he is a midfielder that can contribute very effectively in the defensive phase, he still has the ability to receive and play quickly.
He routinely drops back towards the central defenders to receive the ball in the build-up play. He can receive facing his own goal with pressure behind and play off minimal touches.
He also, however, can play higher up and he routinely takes the ball and spreads the play around from the base of the midfield.
Above we see an example with Zubimendi in possession at the base of the midfield as the opposition sit deeper. He has the ability to play driven passes into the block to find teammates but he can also play longer switches to change the angle of the attack.
While Arsenal have two of the best central defenders in the world in and , it is fair to say that neither of them are the most comfortable when it comes to playing and progressing the ball.
This means that Arsenal need to have a deep midfielder who can do this effectively. Zubimendi can be the midfield player to control space and tempo of the attack.
The presence of a midfielder who can control the play from deeper positions would be key in allowing Arsenal to dictate the game in the final third.
If they were able, for example, to play Odegaard higher up the pitch, this would create space in the wide spaces for because the opposition would not be able to double up on him.
Here again we see Zubimendi in possession of the ball at the base of the midfield. He does not force the game centrally and instead is able to calmly find the next best action to play the ball out and into the wide area.
If we do see Zubimendi moving to Arsenal then expect to see him quickly become one of the most prominent players for the Gunners. He will regularly be a player who gets among the most touches for the team and becomes the player who organises the play.
HURTING THE OPPOSITION
As well as being able to control the game in and out of possession, Zubimendi is also a midfielder who can hurt the opposition.
This does not mean out of possession with his tackling ability, but with his ability on the ball in the final third.
Zubimendi can control the game with good decisions to move the ball and find the free man, but he also has the ability to play more aggressive forward passes to break the line and move the ball into the final third.
One of the most interesting aspects of Zubimendi’s game is his ability to change the tempo he plays with.
He has a great feel for the game with the ability to play slower when Arsenal are higher and looking to control the game against a team in a high block.
In more transitional moments though, when the opposition are not well organised against the ball, he can play quickly and more aggressively.
Here, in a more open position when the opposition are not sitting and defending in a deep shape, we see Zubimendi getting the ball and immediately breaking the last line with a forward pass to release a team-mate through on goal.
For a team that has runners both in the midfield, in Rice and Odegaard, and from wide areas, in and Saka, having a player who can read the game and understand when to become more aggressive on the ball and when to trigger the pass forward and hurt the opposition would be hugely beneficial.
Below, we see Zubimendi taking the ball in deeper areas before playing aggressively to push it through the defensive line and release a team-mate making a run around the outside.
Signing a player like Zubimendi would unlock all of the other parts of the squad that have been built so far under this project led by Arteta.
CONCLUSION
It is fair to say that make very few mistakes when it comes to recruitment and they were extremely aggressive in their pursuit of Zubimendi.
In the end they did, of course, win the league so things worked out well for them.
However, their loss could become Arsenal’s gain as signing Zubimendi this summer could take the Gunners to the next level.
