Martin Zubimendi says he joined Arsenal this summer because he wanted to work under a "quality coach".
Zubimendi, who completed a £51million move to north London earlier this month, rejected the chance to join Liverpool last year and explained, in an interview with The Athletic, that Mikel Arteta was a major reason behind his choosing Arsenal.
“I don’t know what he (Arteta) saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe,” Zubimendi said.
“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 was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool last summer, but the 26-year-old says that whilst offers came in for him, he didn't want to leave Real Sociedad.
“It wasn’t an easy time,” he says. “I wanted to stay at La Real, but when offers come in, you start thinking about your options.
“The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to leave — and it wasn’t the right time. I felt La Real offered me more opportunities and that I still had a lot to learn, so staying was the best decision.”
Arteta, who is also from San Sebastien, where Zubimendi was born, was full of praise for the midfielder this week.
“When you have him every single day, how he captures the information, how he processes things on the pitch, it’s very impressive,” the Arsenal manager said.
Zubimendi, who Arteta views as a No6, bolsters Arsenal's midfield options following the departures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey.
The Spain international is expected to make his debut this afternoon, when Arsenal take on AC Milan in Singapore.
