Arsenal’s Premier League triumph last season will have been a relief to everyone involved with the club, after numerous failed attempts at top-flight glory.
Mikel Arteta has masterminded the project at the Emirates and has often been backed heavily by the hierarchy in his attempts during his near seven-year tenure.
Since his arrival in December 2019, the Spaniard has spent upwards of £900m on new faces – including the new arrival of winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge.
However, not all of the additions have proved to be value for money in recent times, with one player struggling to live up to the early expectations he set for himself.
Why Zubimendi could struggle at Arsenal in 2026/27
As part of last summer’s recruitment drive, Arsenal secured the £51m signing of midfielder Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad to add needed depth and quality to the heart of the side.
The Spaniard started life at the Emirates like a house on fire, scoring an impressive double in the 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest back in early September.
However, despite being Declan Rice’s partner for the first few months of the campaign, he suffered a huge drop in form towards the end of 2025/26 – resulting in a decline in minutes in the first team.
The 27-year-old only started two of the Gunners’ final seven games of the campaign – even being replaced at the heart of the side by youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly for the Champions League final against PSG.
|
Martin Zubimendi – Premier League stats (2025/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
38 |
|
Goals & assists |
6 |
|
Pass accuracy |
86% |
|
Chances created |
0.6 |
|
Successful dribbles |
0.2 |
|
Ball recoveries |
3.4 |
|
Possession won in final third |
0.2 |
|
Cross success |
25% |
His stats from one of his latest starts against Atletico Madrid highlighted his struggles, as Zubimendi lost 75% of the ground duels he entered and lost possession on eight separate occasions.
He was also dribbled past on three occasions by the opposition and has struggled to provide the defensive solidity he demonstrated during the early months of his spell in North London.
The midfielder will also return late to pre-season training with Arteta’s men after the recent World Cup triumph – something which could place his starting role at further risk.
How Arsenal can replace Zubimendi this summer
Zubimendi’s struggles, coupled with Arsenal’s recent efforts in the transfer market, could spell the end to his time as a regular starter at the heart of Arteta’s side.
Bruno Guimarães has emerged as a key target for the Gunners over recent months, leading to multiple bids being submitted to land the Brazilian international.
Newcastle United are reluctant to sell their club captain this summer which has led to Arteta’s men turning their attention to Bournemouth star Alex Scott.
It’s been reported by The Mirror that Arsenal have entered talks with the Cherries over a potential deal to land the 22-year-old midfielder ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
They also claim that Manchester United are keen on a deal for the Englishman, but Arteta’s men are more advanced in their pursuit of the £40m, while the player himself favours a move to the Emirates.
Such a price tag may seem to be a small fortune for the midfielder, but it could prove to be an excellent deal for the Gunners if he can continue his tremendous development at the Emirates.
Spending such funds this summer would no doubt see him become one of the club’s most influential players – subsequently pushing Zubimendi further down the pecking order.
It would be the right call though, with Scott managing to outperform the Spaniard international various key areas – as seen by their respective figures in the Premier League last term.
The Cherries star managed to complete 56% of the dribbles he attempted in England’s top-flight, whilst making an impressive tally of 5.3 passes into the final third per 90.
Both of the aforementioned figures demonstrate his tremendous ability into the final third, something which the Spaniard greatly lacked during his debut year in North London.
Even without the ball, Scott managed to catch the eye, subsequently registering more defensive contributions and making more ball recoveries per 90.
Like his numbers with the ball at his feet, his figured without the ball also ranked highly amongst other players in the division – subsequently bettering the tallies produced by 85% of other midfielders.
His talent hasn’t gone unnoticed, as seen by Arsenal’s interest, with teammate Lewis Cook even labelling the youngster as a “special talent” earlier this year.
£80m may be seen as somewhat of a risk for Arteta’s side this summer, but Rice has showcased that the benefits are there to be had when spending big on young English talent.
Zubimendi would be the obvious candidate to make way for Scott upon any transfer, but such a decision would undoubtedly be the right one as the club aim to defend their top-flight title next term.
