Mikel Arteta admits he didn’t expect Martin Zubimendi to adapt this quickly at Arsenal

“I’ve seen many midfielders reach the Premier League, coming from top positions in other leagues, and they’ve struggled; it’s taken them a year or two to become who they are. The speed and naturalness with which he’s adapting is surprising.” Zubimendi might not have great height, but he doesn’t struggle in the air. In fact, his aerial duel numbers are up there with some of the best defenders in the league, including Virgil van Dijk. This view is shared by more than just his current teammates. Even before joining Arsenal, Zubimendi had a reputation for being an excellent player. Kieran Tierney and Xavi praise Martin Zubimendi Ex-Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney, who had a short stint alongside Zubimendi at Sociedad, ranked him and Mikel Merino as ‘world class’. He said: “You have world-class players like Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Brais Mendez. It’s not that people don’t think they’re good, it’s just that if you’re only watching the Premier League every week, it’s hard to know. They’re world-class.” Xavi also spoke highly of the midfielder during his time in Spain, pointing to how well he fit into Barcelona’s system even before making the move to England. He said: “I like all of Real Sociedad. They mirror a bit our style of play. Zubimendi is an extraordinary defensive midfielder, he understands the model we like at Barca, he dominates with and without the ball.”