Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the Olympiacos game (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Arsenal central midfielder Martin Zubimendi has explained how he ended up choosing a move to the Emirates Stadium when Liverpool also tried to sign him.
The Spain international joined the Gunners this summer and has started superbly in the Premier League, showing that he is surely now up there with the very finest players in the world in his position.
Zubimendi has now spoken to the Guardian about how his move to Arsenal came about, crediting manager Mikel Arteta for being “very convincing” with his pitch to him.
Although Zubimendi didn’t specifically mention Liverpool, it’s well known that he turned the Reds down in summer 2024, as reported by the Times.
Martin Zubimendi explains why he joined Arsenal
Discussing his decision to delay leaving Real Sociedad by one more year, Zubimendi suggested he’d been following Arsenal and found Arteta very persuasive.
Martin Zubimendi in action for Arsenal vs Man City (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
It doesn’t seem like the 26-year-old had any issue with Liverpool as such, but Arsenal and Arteta must have gone in very strongly and pulled out all the stops to persuade him to pick them instead.
“When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real,” he said.
“And it wasn’t the right moment [to go]. I stayed and it was a hard season but I learned a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went.
“But I’ve always tried to choose the right time and I’m happy with how it happened in the end.
“I had watched Arsenal and I liked everything I saw, in terms of passion, youth, the feeling you got watching them.
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“And when Mikel Arteta called me … Well, if you’ve ever spoken to him you’ll know that he can be very convincing. He’s mad about football, crazy about having everything under control, trying to get something from every little detail.
“He’s very clear on everything and the proposal he had was the best for me.”
Can Zubimendi help Arsenal…
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