Arsenal beat a host of top clubs, including Premier League champions Liverpool, to sign Martín Zubimendi. Will he take the Gunners to new heights?

Liverpool reportedly triggered Zubimendi’s affordable £60 million ($81.3 million) release clause in 2024 only to be rejected by the player. That same summer, Arsenal bought his Real Sociedad teammate Mikel Merino and, as has now been revealed, greased the wheels for Zubimendi’s arrival.

"I felt that Real offered me more opportunities and that I still had a lot to learn, so staying at Real was the best decision for me." Zubimendi and Arteta hit it off after speaking on the phone and the Spain international says the Arsenal manager's "obsession" with "details" is one of the reasons he wanted to join the club.