Mikel Arteta recently hinted that Arsenal's "best player" is somebody who has only been with the club a matter of months - summer signing Martin Zubimendi. Zubimendi has been justifying his manager's comments since signing from boyhood club Real Sociedad in July 2025. The 27-year-old has played the most minutes of any of Arsenal's outfield players and has been chipping in with goals too. Zubimendi was brought in to be a crucial component of the Arsenal squad, with his passing ability, on-pitch intelligence and history of winning important trophies. His signing has also given midfield team-mate Declan Rice the licence to take his attacking game to the next level.

Source: BBC February 15, 2026 13:15 UTC