Arteta confirms whether Zubimendi will play No6 or No8 for Arsenal

Arsenal boss Arteta has confirmed which position new signing Martin Zubimendi will play in the forthcoming 2025-26 season.

The Gunners landed their long time transfer target this summer after the coveted 26-year-old made his £60m move from Real Sociedad earlier this month, and is expected to feature at some stage against AC Milan in Singapore.

Before the match, Arteta was asked if Zubimendi was going to play more as a No6 or a No8 and, shot back with an emphatic answer, making it crystal clear just why he drafted the Basque-born midfielder to North London. 

"Six. Really excited," Arteta said.

"And again as I said before when you have him every single day, just around the building, just in training sessions, how he captures the information, how he processes things on the pitch, it's very impressive.

"I'm very, very happy to have him."

Reflecting on his protracted trasnfer that spanned two summers, Zubimendi said: "It wasn't an easy time," amid all the transfer speculation. 

"The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to leave Real, and it wasn't the right time," he added.

"I felt that Real [Sociedad] offered me more opportunities and that I still had a lot to learn, so staying at Real was the best decision for me."

Zubimendi and Arteta built their relationship on the back speaking on the phone, with the Spainish international admitting that the Arsenal manager's "obsession" with "details" is one of the reasons why he wanted to join the club.

"I don't know what he saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe. he said.

"At the end of the day, I wanted a quality coach when I left Real Sociedad.

"I think I've found him. In the few days I've been here, I've seen how meticulous he is about every aspect of the game, so I think he's the one."

Zubimendi also says he is learning "a lot" from his new boss.

"I think I'm going to try to do things I didn't do before," he said. "Playing in that position, I'll try to bring balance and provide that passing outlet that I'm known for.

"Beyond that, I'm sure he'll ask me to do new things."

'We need to learn from previous seasons'

Zubimendi hopes he can be a catalyst to help Arsenal launch a silverware-laded era after gpoing so close over the last three seasons.

"I hope so," said Zubimendi. "The most important thing about this club is that they learn from previous seasons.

"I think the lessons they've learned from how last season ended will be key to getting even closer to this year's targets.

"Ultimately, I believe that football comes down to details, especially in the Champions League.

"I feel that Arsenal were the only team in that semi-final who truly stood up to PSG [Paris St-Germain], and they let it slip because of minor details.

"I also agree with Merino that it's a long season, and injuries play an important role, so the fewer we have, the better."