Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad – but how does he compare to their current midfield options?
He has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Gunners and they are set to trigger his €60million (£50.5m/$67.3m) release clause in the summer.
The Spain international – who was part of the side that beat England in the Euro 2024 final – is widely regarded as one of the best deep-lying midfielders in Europe.
“He has that ability to generate play, to make those around him better, always offering solutions; to improve the move,” former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso said.
“He understands what the next step is before the ball gets to him. He has that ability to organise, the axis. I loved working with him.”
The midfielder has been earmarked as an ideal long-term replacement for Jorginho, who is set to leave the Emirates on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.
Thomas Partey has also entered the final two months of his contract, although the club have held initial talks with the Ghana international over a new deal.
Zubimendi looks set to form a midfield partnership with Declan Rice, who initially played as a No.6 but has increasingly been used as a No.8 in recent months.
We’ve taken a look at his league stats from the 2024/25 season and compared them with Rice, Jorginho and Partey. Note: we’ve not included Mikel Merino as he has often been used as a makeshift striker in Mikel Arteta’s side.
Passing
Zubimendi plays an integral role in his team’s build-up play and has been attempting 53.63 passes per 90 minutes in LaLiga in 2024/25.
In comparison, Rice attempts 53.15 passes per 90 in the Premier League, Jorginho attempts 60.55 passes per 90 and Partey attempts 62.04 passes per 90.
The Spain international has a pass success rate of 83.4% this season, which actually puts him behind Rice (83.5%), Jorginho (86.7%) and Partey (87.3%).
He also ranks narrowly below the Arsenal trio when it comes to progressive passes per 90 minutes. He has an average of 5.93, while Partey is on 5.95, Rice is on 6.12 and Jorginho is on 6.15.
But Zubimendi is particularly good at retaining the ball and has been dispossessed just 0.6 times per 90 in 2024/25. Jorginho (1.2) and Rice (1.0) get dispossessed a lot more frequently, although Partey (0.5) comes out on top in this regard.
Defensive work
Zubimendi is not afraid to have a physical battle in the middle of the park and has registered 72 successful tackles in LaLiga in 2024/25 – the 11th most in the division.
The Spain international is averaging 2.27 successful tackles per 90 and is second only to Partey (2.9) among the players that we’re comparing here. Rice is averaging 1.77 successful tackles per 90, while Jorginho is in last place with 1.54.
His tackle success rate of 82.1% is higher than that of the Arsenal trio, with Partey at 74.3%, Rice at 72% and Jorginho at 50%.
He is averaging 2.43 clearances per 90, which ranks in the 90th percentile among La Liga midfielders in 2024/25. Rice (1.5), Partey (1.4) and Jorginho (0.3) are all unable to match that figure.
The 26-year-old excels at reading danger and cutting out passing lanes, averaging 1.36 interceptions per 90 in 2024/25. That puts him above Partey, Jorginho and Rice, with the Gunners trio averaging 1.2, 0.9 and 0.8 respectively.
He also tops the charts in terms of blocks, completing 1.26 per 90. He is then followed by Partey (0.89), Rice (0.82) and Jorginho (0.38).
Standing at 5ft 11ins, Zubimendi is the joint-shortest midfielder from the quartet alongside Jorginho, but he is still very strong in the air.
He has won 1.64 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the 2024/25 campaign – compared to 1.05, 0.89 and 0.13 of Rice, Partey and Jorginho.
Martin Zubimendi has won possession in the midfield third more times (322) than any other player since the start of the 2022/23 La Liga season. 🔋 pic.twitter.com/U1f9kxiLIp
— WhoScored (@WhoScored) May 10, 2025
Attacking contributions
While defensive midfielders aren’t ever judged on their attacking prowess, they can still contribute in the final third.
Rice is unsurprisingly the most productive midfielder on this list with three goals and seven assists in 33 Premier League appearances in 2024/25, averaging a direct goal contribution every 265.3 minutes.
Partey – who has four goals and two assists in the Premier League this season – is averaging a direct goal contribution every 436.6 minutes, while Jorginho is yet to get a goal or assist in the top-flight in 2024/25.
Zubimendi has registered two goals and two assists in 34 La Liga appearances, averaging a direct goal contribution every 713 minutes.
In terms of shots per 90 minutes, he currently averages 0.73 and comes in third place behind Rice (1.5) and Partey (0.79) but ahead of Jorginho (0.26).
The Spain international has also averaged just 1.33 shot-creating actions per 90, which is eclipsed by Jorginho (1.54), Partey (2.06) and Rice (3.61).
But he does average 0.57 successful take-ons per 90 and is only bested in that regard by Partey (0.83). Rice is averaging 0.44 per 90, while Jorginho is in last place with 0.13 per 90.
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