Arsenal have had one of their biggest transfer windows ever.
Indeed, the Gunners have almost cleared the £200m mark with their spending already, and they’re not finished yet.
Eberechi Eze is still being linked to Arsenal, while Rodrygo is an Arsenal target too.
However, even if the Gunners were finished with making new signings, you’d have to say this window has been a roaring success.
Indeed, Arsenal have made some brilliant new additions, with Viktor Gyokeres being the most high-profile new arrival.
However, according to Theo Walcott, speaking on the BBC Radio Five Live Football Daily Podcast, Arsenal have made another signing who could be more impactful than Gyokeres.
Walcott was asked about Arsenal’s summer transfer business.
The pundit was asked if Martin Zubimendi could end up being a more important and impactful signing than Viktor Gyokeres, and, interestingly, Walcott believes this could well be the case.
“But could Zubimendi actually be, if not more important, maybe have more of an immediate impact, given that he was player of the match in the last preseason fixture?” Walcott was asked.
“Yes, and the reason why I say that so confidently is he is forward thinking.
“And he’s not a player that would play the easy option. He likes to take the risks. And we always look at wingers, and particularly wingers, take the risk. And they’re always the first player to come off.
“But he’s a player in the field who likes to go forward first.
First touch is forward. First pass is always his thought is forward. And I like that. It’s always positive in my eyes. And the Norgaard one as well, again, they might complement each other really well, having someone who would do a lot of the running.
“It’s Declan Rice, that dynamic, how that’s going to work as well, because I feel like he’s, you know, brilliant when he’s higher up the field.
“But Zubimendi for me controls the calmness as well. Physically, it will be the test for him.
“I think that will be the biggest test.
“But that’s always the case when any foreign player comes to the Premier League. It’s ultimately the toughest league in the world of football, but someone who’s won pretty much most things anyway, it won’t phase him. And it’s a player that they’ve been fond of for many years.
“Mikel obviously got his man now. And he has been overshadowed, but look, as a midfield player, we don’t mind that because they do the work correctly. And that’s what I like about him.
“He’s just forward thinking. I’m sick of midfield players when they pass it side and side without doing anything. He’s different.”
Arsenal will be looking to become Premier League champions this season, and the Gunners know better than anyone that a title-winning team often lives and dies by its midfield.
Indeed, the Gunners have won three Premier League titles in the past, and in each title-winning season, their midfield has been rock solid.
Patrick Vieira and his partners made Arsenal almost unbeatable in those seasons, and Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi will be hoping to do the same this season.
Yes, Gyokeres may be the man to get the goals for Arsenal this year, but, make no mistake about it, Zubimendi could be the most important player in this team.
