Martin Zubimendi is on the verge of completing a £51 million move to Arsenal, with reports claiming the Real Sociedad midfielder has arrived in London to finalise the deal.
After months of speculation and negotiations, the Gunners are close to securing their first signing of the summer transfer window. Zubimendi, who helped Spain win Euro 2024, has long been a priority target for Mikel Arteta. Despite a brief threat of a hijack from Real Madrid, Arsenal remained confident of sealing the deal, largely thanks to Arteta’s personal push.
According to The Athletic, the 26-year-old is now in the English capital to undergo a medical and complete formalities before signing a long-term contract at the Emirates. Zubimendi will become the first major arrival under Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta.
Zubimendi departs Real Sociedad after 236 appearances, contributing 10 goals and 9 assists. While not known for attacking stats, his tactical intelligence, distribution, and positioning make him a standout in the holding midfield role. He featured 48 times for Sociedad last season and played a key role in Spain’s Euro 2024 campaign, including a substitute appearance in the final against England.
The expectation is for Zubimendi to take over the number six role from Thomas Partey, who is out of contract this summer. Talks over a new deal with the Ghanaian have stalled, and with Jorginho already gone, Arsenal face a shortage in defensive midfield.
Internal options include shifting Declan Rice deeper or experimenting with Ben White or Myles Lewis-Skelly, but those aren’t seen as long-term fixes. This leaves Berta with one more critical task: finding another central midfielder to support Zubimendi for the 2025-26 campaign.