MADRID, 14 (EUROPA PRESS)
Arsenal's Spanish midfielder Martín Zubimendi said on Thursday that the "connection" he had with Real Sociedad made him stay "many years" at the San Sebastián club, although this summer he felt that the "time" had come to take a further step in his career, so he decided to sign for Arsenal after seeing the way Mikel Arteta's "team was playing."
"I'm lucky to be from where Real Sociedad is from, and that connection kept me there for many years. But this year is very different," the midfielder said in a statement to DAZN's 'Premier Corner by Guinness 0.0', as reported by Europa Press.
Zubimendi arrives at Arsenal after a "different summer" and a change that "hasn't been easy," although he says he's "eager to get started." "The main change will be in mentality; losing points isn't allowed here," he continued.
The player, who will win Europe with Spain in 2024, explained that he had "doubts" last summer, although he believed he "could contribute a lot to Real Sociedad" and had "steps left to take." However, during this summer, he felt his "time" had arrived.
Referring to the importance that Gunners manager Mikel Arteta has had in his signing, Zubimendi said that "once the signing was close," he spoke to him, but didn't need any convincing because he already knew what he wanted "from seeing how the team played." "He's very detail-oriented, obsessed with taking advantage of every move. I'm sure he'll ask me for many things," he said of the Basque coach.
In London, the San Sebastián native will once again share a dressing room with old acquaintances like Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard, with whom he previously played at Real Sociedad. "I was lucky enough to start playing with them and I'm really looking forward to sharing the field with them again. That midfield with Odegaard, Merino, Rice... It sounds fantastic. What could go wrong?" he said with a laugh.
Finally, the new Arsenal player didn't hesitate to praise another midfielder who also left Spain for the Premier League, Rodrigo Hernández. "I admire him enormously, although I think we're completely different players. We're each making our own path, and I hope I can have the success Rodri has had in the Premier League," Zubimendi concluded about the reigning Ballon d'Or winner.
