In 2023, Arsenal moved heaven and earth to secure the services of West Ham captain Declan Rice.
The midfielder had just won the Conference League and it felt as though the time was finally right for him to move on. Manchester City also came calling but the Gunners were not going to miss out there. They paid a £105m fee, smashing their transfer record out of the water in the process.
declan-rice-arsenal
Three years later and Rice is one of the best midfielders in Europe, if not the best. His performances have been remarkable, scoring those two free-kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League last term and adding further goals and assists to his game in 2025/26.
He's a special, special player who now credits his improvement this season with Martin Zubimendi's arrival.
Arsenal could sign Zubimendi upgrade
"Our understanding of each other has been outstanding", said Rice of Zubimendi in an interview earlier this season. That being said, the Spaniard's performances have dwindled in recent months.
That is perhaps no surprise when you consider that he has played more minutes than any outfield player at the club.
Minutes played by Arsenal players - 2025/26
Player
1) David Raya
2) Martin Zubimendi
3) Declan Rice
4) Jurrien Timber
5) William Saliba
6) Gabriel
7) Bukayo Saka
8) Viktor Gyokeres
That may well suggest he is an important player and indeed he has been since arriving from Real Sociedad last summer, but the number 36 has played the most minutes because of a lack of depth.
Christian Norgaard has barely kicked a ball since joining from Brentford and is clearly not trusted.
Arteta-Zubimendi-Arsenal
As a result, the midfield looks like it could be a key area to address this summer. After being linked with Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali in the winter, rumours of a move for the Italian are ramping up again.
Tonali's representatives have reportedly been in talks with Manchester United in recent days but according to a few sources, Arsenal remain in the picture.
Fabrizio Romano shared on his YouTube channel on Sunday evening that "Arsenal have an interest in Tonali, it's confirmed. They keep following the situation but nothing is advanced."
Rice vs Tonali in 2024-25 (timeless)
Further reports from TEAMtalk on Monday suggest that the club's interest in the Italian is deeper than first reported and that the Gunners are 'desperate' to sign the player ahead of Man United, although it may take a fee of £100m to prise him away from St James' Park.
How Tonali compares to Zubimendi
When Arsenal first signed the Spaniard from Sociedad, it was met with great fanfare, not only because they had stolen him away from the clutches of Liverpool who were also pushing for his signature, but because this was a player who was billed as "one of the best midfielders in the world" behind Rodri by Spain boss Jose Luis De La Fuente.
Since moving to north London, he'd demonstrated precisely why he was given that appraisal, quickly scoring two goals against Nottingham Forest and then establishing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Alongside Rice, they have largely been excellent together but Zubimendi has proven to be a liability at times. While he is usually so calm and composed in possession, he gave away the ball in the build-up to Richarlison's long-range goal in the north London derby at the Emirates and was also guilty of gifting possession straight to Man United when Bryan Mbeumo scored against Arsenal a few months ago.
He also has limitations in his ability to progress the ball, leading some supporters to claim that he needs a period of time out of the team or increased competition, something Norgaard has not given him.
Well, in Tonali, he'd find no better source of competition. Described as "one of the best midfielders in Europe" by Newcastle reporter Joel Bland, the Italian is an expert at dictating the tempo of a game and controlling the play.
Sandro Tonali Newcastle-1
He's similar to Zubimendi in that regard, sitting deeper than a more box-crashing Rice or his partner at St James' in the form of Bruno Guimaraes.
Indeed, it is not Tonali's role to get involved in the attack, nor is it Zubimendi's, but it's clear from the stats that the former is actually playing at a higher level right now.
Zubimendi vs Tonali: 2025/26 PL
Stat (per 90 mins)
Shots
Assists
Chances created
Pass accuracy
Forward passes
Sideways passes
Tackles made
Take-ons completed
Fouls won
Duels won
Ball recoveries
While the two midfielders rank pretty closely for a number of metrics, including shots, assists and duels, there are some key talking points here that suggest Tonali could improve Arsenal's midfield significantly.
If one of the main gripes with Zubimendi this term has been about his inability to progress the play then Newcastle's star midfielder would certainly help remedy that.
He completes more take-ons per 90 minutes and plays fewer sideways passes. Tonali might not be the most aggressive and physical player out there but he's smart, he's classy, and he likes getting the ball forward.
If Rice thinks he has a good partnership with the Spaniard, then just think what he could achieve alongside an even better midfielder.
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