Martín Zubimendi grew up in San Sebastián and came through Real Sociedad’s academy. He won the Copa del Rey in 2020 and became one of the best defensive midfielders in La Liga.
Zubimendi is a calm, positionally disciplined holding midfielder who breaks up play and keeps possession moving. He famously turned down several moves to stay at Real Sociedad, including a chance to join Liverpool in 2024.
He played an important role as Spain won Euro 2024, replacing the injured Rodri at half-time in the final against England. Arsenal signed him in 2025 to anchor their midfield.
Playing style
Zubimendi is a calm, positionally disciplined holding midfielder who breaks up play and keeps possession moving. He reads the game exceptionally well, anticipating passes and intercepting them rather than relying on tackles. With the ball he plays quick, accurate passes and rarely loses possession, which allows his team to control games. At Real Sociedad he was one of the best midfielders in La Liga under Imanol Alguacil. His move to Arsenal was designed to give the team a specialist No. 6.
International career
Zubimendi made his Spain debut in 2021 and was part of the squad that won Euro 2024, coming on at half-time in the final for the injured Rodri. He has since become a regular in the national team.
Career in numbers
Across 9 seasons of senior club football, beginning in 2018/19, Zubimendi has played 301 matches and scored 16 goals for 2 clubs. His most productive season in front of goal was 2025/26, when he scored 6 times in 57 games for Arsenal. So far in 2026/27 he has made 8 appearances for Arsenal. The full season-by-season record is in the Stats section of this profile.