Arsenal’s squad-building has had a clear strategy in recent years.
Their first steps to becoming a title-challenging side came in the summer of 2021, when they signed six players under 23. The aim was for those players (Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White, Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga) to grow together, with the club’s existing players.
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Then 2022 was about adding experience and a different dimension, which came with Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. The difference maker, Declan Rice, came in 2023.
Arsenal’s recruitment strategy this summer, after they finished just two points behind Manchester City, has been less set in stone.
Midfield and attack have been the two areas where they look most likely to reinforce. Benjamin Sesko, 21, was their first choice in attack, but he signed a new contract with RB Leipzig. They have since shifted priorities to strengthening in midfield. At the start of the month, The Athletic reported Arsenal’s interest in Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, 25, and Benfica’s Joao Neves, 19.
An attacking option would still appeal to Arsenal, but primary targets have not surfaced. In midfield, they are looking for a player to complement Declan Rice, with Arsenal viewing the No 6 options as more attractive than those at No 8 in the current market.
Using a mix of video and data analysis, let’sassess how Zubimendi and Neves would suit Arsenal.
Martin Zubimendi, Real Sociedad
Zubimendi has been of interest to Arsenal for a while. The Real Sociedad midfielder is a natural No 6 who can drop in between or alongside the centre-backs, evade pressure and find a team-mate. Along with fellow midfielder Mikel Merino, right-back Hamari Traore and centre-back Robin Le Normand, he was integral to his team’s build-up play last season.
This is shown below when looking at Real Sociedad’s shot-ending attacking sequences. Zubimendi might not take many shots or create many chances directly, but he will likely be involved in the attack further up the sequence chain.
Zubimendi’s 51.7 pass attempts per 90 minutes was the third most on his team last season, while his 63.2 touches was the fourth highest. He completed 86 per cent of his attempted passes last season, averaging 22.9 short and medium pass attempts each with 90 per cent accuracy in both, as well as a solid 68 per cent accuracy on 4.3 long passes per 90.
As the map below shows, he established passing networks with almost every player in the team, especially Le Normand, Merino, Traore and midfielder Igor Zubeldia, highlighting his passing range and importance in Imanol Alguacil’s system. Zubimendi typically prefers to keep his passes short and operates as the team’s metronome in building up from the back.
This also comes through in the sequences below from La Real’s match against Barcelona from November last year.
Dropping between the press, Zubimendi collects the pass and quickly finds his team-mate by sliding a pass between Robert Lewandowski and Fermin Lopez to get his team on the front foot.
Similarly, he also displays his ability to wriggle out of danger in the sequence below against Villarreal.
His body position when he receives the ball is excellent, as it enables him to ease past his marker and dribble forward.
As evident from the solar system graphic above, a large proportion of Zubimendi’s passes were to players ahead of him, with his 5.2 progressive passes and 4.6 passes into the final third per 90 all ranking him in the top 26 per cent among his peers in La Liga last season.
Should Mikel Arteta want to use him similarly at Arsenal, this could have a few knock-on effects. It could see Rice continue to evolve as a No 8 and become as comfortable in that role in possession as he is out of it. That would allow Arsenal to be aggressive higher upfield more often, but also alleviate the need to move Kai Havertz away from centre forward.
It also provides a more progressive alternative to either Jorginho or Thomas Partey from a passing perspective in that deep playmaking role. Arsenal are at their best when they move the ball quickly, which helped Rice drive forward more as a No 8 in the spring, so that could bring a better tempo to their play.
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At the other end of the pitch, Zubimendi is decent at tracking back and shielding the defence. When Rice is used as a No 8, he will join Arsenal’s forwards in their press, often forcing turnovers high upfield. The positioning of the No 6 behind him is imperative in the moments where teams play through that press, however. Jorginho and Partey tend to read the game well but they are becoming less explosive with age, which can sometimes lead to breaks through midfield.
Zubimendi’s 5.7 ball recoveries per 90 in the league was the second-highest figure (behind Merino’s 7.1) in the Real Sociedad squad last season, while he was also effective at reading opposition passes, recording 2.3 interceptions per 1,000 opponent touches, the third-highest on his team.
He is not a particularly aggressive tackler, with his 3.1 tackles per 1,000 opponent touches ranking him 12th on the team. His tackle win rate of 55 per cent was also well below the team average of 62 per cent. However, he committed only 1.2 fouls and had a 55 per cent success rate when tackling dribblers.
But Zubimendi primarily excels at reading danger and cutting out passing lanes with recoveries and interceptions.
His defensive IQ can be seen in the sequence below against Athletic Bilbao, where he swiftly changes direction to get to a loose ball in the box and calmly skips past a tackle to pass and set up a counterattack.
Where Zubimendi potentially falls short is in attacking dynamism, particularly with his ball-carrying. His 31.9 carries per 90 were the fourth highest at Real Sociedad last season — but only seven per cent of these were progressive (moving the ball at least 10 metres closer to the opponents’ goal.)
As shown below using data from smarterscout — which gives players a series of ratings from zero to 99 based on how often they perform a specific action or how effective they are at it — you can see Zubimendi records a high volume of carrying and dribbling, but with limited progression. Similarly, he reads the game well, as suggested by his score in recoveries and interceptions.
This could be systemic as his midfield partners and wingers, such as Takefusa Kubo, were very effective in ball progression, with Zubimendi more content with dictating the tempo from the back, while putting out fires when needed.
However, Arsenal have valued versatility in recent years and with Rice often dropping into the No 6 position midway through matches, they may benefit more from a midfielder who can use space better than Zubimendi, which leads us to…
Joao Neves, Benfica
Neves’ 2023-24 season with Benfica saw him emerge as a box-to-box midfielder and holder rolled into one, with incredible energy.
Like Zubimendi, Neves is heavily involved in his team’s build-up play. Across Benfica’s Champions League and Europa League campaigns last season, he recorded the most touches (85.9) and pass attempts (63.5) per 90. His numbers in the Primeira Liga, where he averaged 80.9 passes per 90 with a success rate of 88.5 per cent, including 75.9 per cent on 9.54 long passes per game, echoed that as well.
Neves’ touch map from Champions League and Europa League matches illustrates his all-action playing style. In addition to operating in central areas, the 19-year-old has showcased his skill across the pitch, including in wider areas.
Like Zubimendi, Neves can drop in between centre-backs or receive the ball on the half-turn to get his side on the front foot, as he does below against Rio Ave.
Having initially found himself in midfield, he sprints back to show for the ball and passes it before getting it back, and as the press retreats, he now has space to carry the ball forward.
Neves’ ball progression through passing is also an asset. His 6.7 progressive passes and 6.9 passes into the final third per 90 all placed him in the top 13 per cent among his peers in the Primeira Liga last season.
Like Zubimendi, he also boasts excellent press resistance; however, what separates the Portuguese from his counterpart is his ability to showcase that ability in attack, further helping his side’s ball progression.
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Last season, Neves averaged 1.6 carries into the final third with 131.9 progressive carrying yards (top two per cent in the league). While he can lose the ball on occasion, his front-footed style meant the benefits of giving Neves freedom to carry the ball outweighed the risks.
The midfielder’s dribbling ability is highlighted by this sequence from Benfica’s 1-1 draw with Casa Pia last October.
Chesting down a clearance, Neves gets past one man and then another before skipping past a third and shooting a powerful effort with minimal backlift, forcing a near-post save from goalkeeper Ricardo Batista.
Though Neves has a few defensive frailties, he does track back and protect his team’s back line.
Neves’ 5.6 adjusted tackles (defined as tackles per 1,000 opponent touches) per 90 were the highest on his team in Europa League and Champions League matches last season, while his 9.4 recoveries per 90 was the second highest. He won 72 per cent of his tackles and, despite his 5ft 7in (174 cm) frame, won 51 per cent of his aerial duels. He similarly outperformed most of his peers in the Primeira Liga as well.
Neves’ recovery pace and defensive awareness can be seen below against Estoril in January.
Despite trailing the attacker for most of the play, Neves sprints back to slide in and win the ball cleanly to snuff out the attack.
Zubimendi is a profile Arsenal require given Partey’s injury concerns (40 matches missed over the last two seasons) and with Jorginho’s contract expiring next summer. A traditional No 6, who allows Rice to operate more freely in the No 8 role, could unlock the Englishman’s goalscoring potential even more while maintaining balance.
In Neves, Arsenal would have a generational talent capable of operating in multiple positions. Neves profiles to be aggressive (and often successful) in tackles and challenges and is a genuine goal threat while also performing his role in protecting the defence, though he will need to develop physically to deal with the intensity of the Premier League. Given his relative youth, he could initially be given a season to adapt to English football before eventually taking over as a starter.
Overall, both are encouraging prospects and it’s easy to see why Arsenal are so interested in them.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
