Last summer, Martin Zubimendi rejected an offer to join Liverpool but if everything falls into plan the midfielder could be on his way to the Premier League at the end of this season.
The defensive midfielder rejected a move to Anfield primarily because he wanted to continue his growth with Real Sociedad but experts believe next year he will want to take the next step in his career.
We don’t think Liverpool will make another move for the Spanish international however, it’s Manchester City and Arsenal who are showing an interest in him. City are prepared to pay Zubimendi’s €60 million and now Arsenal are also planning to go for the Sociedad midfielder as the long-term replacement for Thomas Partey.
Which system does Martin Zubimendi fit better in?
One major injury to Rodri and Manchester City’s form has taken a massive dip so it’s quite logical that Pep Guardiola will want to bring in a world-class defensive midfielder next season.
Mateo Kovacic along with Rico Lewis cannot hold the fort every game and for the long-term, Man City desperately need a new CDM. And someone like Martin Zubimendi will be the ideal fit for a Pep Guardiola system..
Zubimendi featured in 31 LaLiga games last season, making 169 recovery runs, 37 interceptions and winning more than 60% of his aerial duels. in the 2655 minutes he was on the pitch, he committed only 36 fouls which is a shade over just one foul per game. Last season, he also chipped in with 4 goals.
This campaign, he has started in 12 out of the 13 league games for Sociedad and the 25-year-old has already made 2.5 tackles per game along with 1.1 interceptions.
Martin Zubimendi will also be the ideal replacement for Thomas Partey who is sure to leave next summer however, we don’t think Arsenal will be able to get their hands on the midfielder.
Apart from Partey, Mikel Arteta also has Declan Rice and Mikel Merino in his squad so Martin Zudimendi will be walking into a fair bit of competition at the Emirates Stadium. Also, if Arsenal fail to win a major silverware this season, there’s every chance that the hierarchy might want to get rid of Arteta. In such a scenario, we will have to wait and see if Zubimendi will still be eager to join the Gunners or not.
At Man City, he will have a far greater opportunity because he can effortlessly overtake Mateo Kovacic and play alongside Rodri. In a 4-2-3-1 system and even in a 3-2-4-1 formation, Martin Zubimendi can very easily slot in as the second defensive midfielder.
Mikel Arteta also uses two CDMs but the Sociedad midfielder will have a much greater fight in North London.
Overall, given the stature of the club and the potential available opportunities, at the moment, a move to Manchester City looks much more likely for Martin Zubimendi.
Stats courtesy Whoscored.com
