By Allan Riley
With Thomas Partey’s repeated injuries and Jorghino’s physical limitations as a six in Mikel Arteta’s system, it makes sense as to why Arsenal are reportedly targeting a deep-lying midfielder in the January window. While our issues this season have been further up the pitch, more bodies in the heart of midfield are needed.
Martin Zubimendi has been key to Real Sociedad’s performances this season, with the Basque side sitting three points off the top four in La Liga, while also making it through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League itself. The Spaniard has emerged as a potential acquisition for Arteta and with his technical profile, you can see why. While Sociedad’s rise over the last two seasons has certainly been a team effort, Zubimendi has been at the heart of it. The midfielder has received comparisons to Sergio Busquets, and has been dubbed in Spanish media as a possible heir apparant to the vertran Catalonian.
Stastically, Zubimendi profiles relatively promisingly as a defensive midfielder. The deep-lying playmaker produces 5.21 progressive passes, 1.75 tackles and 1.26 interceptions per 90. At 5'11, Zubimendi wins just under 70% of his aerial duels. For context, Declan Rice wins 34% of his aerial duels, but puts up 6.76 progressive passes, 2 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per 90. While the former's underlying metrics appear pretty underwhelming, they don’t really do the midfielder justice. Zubimendi is perhaps still a raw talent, with this raw talent evident in the eye test, but is lacking in the consistency required to sparkle in these accumulative stats.
When it comes to the defensive side of the game, Zubimendi may be currrently lacking the aggression to seemlessly adapt to the Premier League. He isn’t one to go body-to-body and try to outmuscle his opponent. Instead, he prefers to recover second balls, block passing lanes and snuff out loose passes. Only Dani Parejo made more ball recoveries in midfield than Zubimendi in 22/23 in La Liga.
One of the 24-year-old's primary roles at Sociedad is to participate in the build-up from the back; to act as the link between defence and midfield while David Silva does the inverse next to him. It’s a role that requires not only a strong physical presence, and quick decision-making to play the right pass at the right angle but also requires excellent technique. Fortunately, Zubimendi has all three attributes.
He is Sociedad’s spare man in midfield - popping up to win duels, drag strikers out of position and move into the space created by Sociedad’s press-inviting build-up play. Ghosting in to receive, winning key battles and turning under pressure with the ball, there are few midfielders as consistently good as Zubimendi at this.
The man himself recently remarked that what makes a good midfielder is “[having] sufficient humility to devote yourself to the team. The first thing is the collective – not being individualistic. [It’s] about being constantly helping, whether it’s for the defensive line or your teammates higher up.”
The ability to make yourself helpful to your teammates is one of the best traits a midfielder can have, and his Modric-esque ability to look to position himself in pockets of space to receive the pass between two players is key to Sociedad's build-up. It’s an asset of his game that could prove very useful against deep blocks in the Premier League.
Zubimendi isn’t just a handy defensive player, he’s capable of starting attacks on his own. His dribbling ability and close control are key to moving the ball up the pitch. Only four midfielders carried the ball further in La Liga than Zubimendi did last season, and his ability to navigate tight spaces on the pitch is key to this.
When he’s allowed more space on the ball, he is able to show off his excellent passing credentials and is particularly good at effortless passes out wide that allow the wingers to control the ball with one touch. Given how much of Arsenal’s attacking play utilises Saka and Martinelli, this could be crucial in Arteta's system. Zubimendi’s attentiveness and tactical awareness allow him to play line-splitting passes, as he can create the patience needed to find the option that a rushed pass couldn’t find.
While his underlying metrics aren’t particularly impressive on paper, numbers can be deceiving. The real genius of Zubimendi’s profile is his tactical awareness, his ability to position himself in the right space to snuff out an attack or start his own. His ability to be where his teammates need him could be very effective for an Arsenal team that likes to use rotations to build up in the final third. It’s a refreshing profile in a footballing landscape where greatness is dictated by having 100 passes a game with a 95% accuracy rate.
In an age where football is riddled with complexity and intricate tactical systems, Zubimendi has been able to find stardom in simplicity. His profile is a throwback to a bygone era, and could be crucial for an Arsenal team who need reliable, effective midfielders to take the next step forward as a team. Is he the perfect fit to fulfil a prominent starting role as the six alongside Rice? Maybe not. However, as a potential squad option who could develop into something special and take the role of the inevitably departing Jorginho and Mo Elneny, he appears a smart fit.
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