Arsenal summer signing Martin Zubimendi has praised the efforts Mikel Arteta made this summer to secure his signature, confessing the Gunners manager can be ‘very convincing’.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed a promising start to life in north London, netting twice in his opening seven Premier League outings following his switch from Real Sociedad. The Gunners saw off interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool to capture the deep-lying playmaker, with Zubimendi revealing he studied Arsenal extensively before his move to the club, crediting Arteta as pivotal in his transfer.
“When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real,” he told The Guardian. “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. Well, until you do decide to go.”
“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.
“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.”
Zubimendi isn’t the only new Arsenal recruit to sing Arteta’s praises. His compatriot Cristhian Mosquera revealed that he had no second thoughts about joining the Gunners after speaking with the head coach.
“I feel great at the club and in the city. From the first moment Arteta spoke to me, I had no doubts about going to Arsenal,” said Mosquera, who was part of Arsenal‘s £250m summer spree.
“There’s an incredible group of players. Plus, there are a lot of Spanish speakers who have helped me adapt. When I signed, I knew I was going to face them [Gabriel and Saliba], two world-class stars, but that was the club’s idea: to have players competing for every position to go as far as possible.”
As well as Zubimendi and Mosquera, Arsenal ultimately brought in Kepa Arrizabalaga, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Piero Hincapie, Noni Madueke and Christian Norgaard. And the squad is looking strong, with Arsenal sat top of the pile during the October international break.