Arsenal's squad depth has often been celebrated this season. It's perhaps one of the biggest reasons behind their success, with the Gunners now surely on course to win the Premier League title.
However, whether or not the depth is strong is another debate. With injuries running rife, Mikel Arteta's men were no match for Southampton last weekend, dumped out of the FA Cup in baffling fashion.
Gyokeres-Madueke-Martinelli-Arsenal
It came off the back of a Carabao Cup final defeat where, like at Saints on Saturday, their quality and technical ability were called into question.
Is this really the team that's been hailed as the best in the country this term? It doesn't look like it. New recruits must be sought over the summer to avoid another slump, as we've seen towards the back end of the ongoing campaign.
Arsenal could sign big-money midfielder
How the Gunners go about strengthening this summer remains to be seen but there are two primary areas of concern: on the flanks and in midfield.
Out wide, Leandro Trossard has not scored across his last 18 matches, failing to find the back of the net at all in 2026. As for Gabriel Martinelli, he has not beaten the goalkeeper since the 4-0 win over Wigan in the cup, a win that came all the way back in mid-February.
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In midfield, it's been a case of Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi and no one else.
The Spaniard has played more minutes than any other outfield player at the Emirates Stadium, leading to links to the likes of Elliot Anderson at Nottingham Forest and Morten Hjulmand at Sporting.
Minutes played by Arsenal players in 25/26
Player
1) David Raya
2) Martin Zubimendi
3) Declan Rice
4) Jurrien Timber
5) William Saliba
6) Gabriel
7) Bukayo Saka
8) Viktor Gyokeres
Yet, they could also cast their eyes in the direction of Real Madrid. That's according to Sky Sports in Belgium who suggest that French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga could be on the market.
They report that Madrid are now open to a sale if any interested team pays around £70m. Camavinga's agency, CAA Stellar, are busy approaching clubs around Europe to make it known that their client could be available.
Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga
Liverpool and Arsenal are just two clubs to have established contact with the Frenchman's representatives, while clubs in Saudi Arabia are also said to be monitoring the situation closely.
There is, however, one big obstacle. Camavinga is not too keen on leaving the Bernabeu behind this summer.
How Camavinga compares to Zubimendi
Zubimendi's arrival in north London last summer was met with great fanfare. While the midfielder had never played outside of Spain, his qualities were well recognised, particularly by Spain boss Jose Luis De La Fuente who called him "one of the best midfielders in the world" behind Rodri.
Arteta-Zubimendi-Arsenal
Well, in the initial stages of his Arsenal journey, the 27-year-old looked exactly like one of the best. His calmness in possession was second to none, he was scoring goals, popping up with two against Nottingham Forest, and he allowed Rice to get further forward.
While the Spaniard has never been a duel monster, he looked a class apart, sitting as a lone 6 and dictating the tempo of a game.
However, the fact of the matter is that Zubimendi has now played far too many minutes, featuring across 3,586 this season. Only David Raya with 3,600 has played more in the entire squad.
As a result, his displays now looked fatigued and laboured. It's hardly a surprise that Arsenal's performance levels have dropped off as the players have become more tired.
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It does not help that Arteta has not been convinced by Christian Norgaard. The Dane is a mighty fine player and was signed as Zubimendi's backup but he's barely kicked a ball, not starting a single Premier League game all season.
So, Camavinga would be just the ticket as far as Arteta is concerned. He gets a classy midfielder and one he can rely on to maintain a similar sort of performance level to his fellow Spaniard.
Described as "one of the best 6s in world football" by Arsenal writer Harvey Diamonds, the French superstar has proven himself to be a key cog at Real Madrid in recent years.
Still only 23 years of age, he has featured in every LaLiga match he has been available for this term, whether it be as a starter or from the bench.
That said, where do the France internationals' best qualities lie? Well, compared to midfielders in Europe's top five leagues this term, he ranks among the top 1% for ground duels won with 4.59 per 90 minutes, subsequently also sitting among the best 4% for tackles and interceptions won with 4.28 per 90.
He makes 8.24 passes into the final third per 90, enough to rank him in the best 4% across Europe for positionally similar players. That indicates that he progresses the ball from central areas very well.
But what does that all mean compared to Zubimendi?
Well, the Arsenal midfielder is far less progressive, playing 4.74 passes into the final third, while he's also not as physical. The Spaniard wins just 1.35 ground duels and makes 2.89 tackles and interceptions per 90.
Zubimendi-Arsenal
In Camavinga, Arteta would be getting more of an archetypal holding midfield player, but that doesn't mean he cannot bring the more modern qualities into this Arsenal team.
The Madrid superstar gets the ball forward quickly and he's comfortable in possession. At £70m, it feels like a snip for a player with as much potential as he has.
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