Arsenal laid the foundations for this summer’s arrival of Martín Zubimendi 12 months ago, outmanoeuvring Liverpool to poach the Spanish midfielder with what Mikel Arteta proudly hailed as a “really well-orchestrated plan”.

Liverpool reportedly triggered Zubimendi’s affordable £60 million ($81.3 million) release clause in 2024 only to be rejected by the player. That same summer, Arsenal bought his Real Sociedad teammate Mikel Merino and, as has now been revealed, greased the wheels for Zubimendi’s arrival.

“I think it was a really well-orchestrated plan by the club and everybody that was involved in it, to understand how we could get what we wanted in two different years, and both at the same time,” Arteta beamed to assembled media ahead of Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia.

“And both players were very keen to come, which is very necessary,” the Gunners boss noted. “I think we had a club in Real Sociedad that understood the situation, and they’ve been excellent. We did what we wanted and the players did what we wanted. I think Real Sociedad at the end were happy with the outcome, so I think it’s a very positive outcome for all parties.”

Liverpool didn’t fare too badly without Zubimendi, finishing 10 points clear of Arsenal at the Premier League summit as Ryan Gravenberch shone at the base of midfield.

Zubimendi explained his point of view. “The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to leave Real [in 2024], and it wasn’t the right time,” the 26-year-old noted. “I felt that Real offered me more opportunities and that I still had a lot to learn, so staying at Real was the best decision for me.“

Just as Arne Slot’s talk to Florian Wirtz was instrumental in his Liverpool move, Arteta’s influence was key for Zubimendi. “I don’t know what he saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe. 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.”

During the year-long hiatus between their respective arrivals, Merino and Zubimendi played 11 times together for the Spanish national team and reached two major finals. Yet, they didn’t touch the subject of a potential reunion once.

“I think we were fighting for big things,” Merino shrugged. “For me it was a really tough season last year and he was really focused in Sociedad. Even with the national team we didn’t touch that subject.

“I guess I was only focused on my thing. I was asking him how he was doing at Sociedad, but we didn’t talk about our future.”

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mikel Arteta Reveals How Arsenal Beat Liverpool to Martin Zubimendi Signing.

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