Arteta 'the one' - Zubimendi on why he chose Arsenal
- Published
New Arsenal signing Martin Zubimendi says it "wasn't an easy time" for him last summer, as he tried to decide what was best for his future during a spell of intense transfer speculation.
The Spain midfielder finally completed a £60m move to Emirates Stadium from Real Sociedad earlier this month but acknowledged rumours about his future have been rumbling for 12 months.
"The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to leave Real, and it wasn't the right time," he explained.
"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."
Zubimendi and Arteta hit it off after speaking on the phone and the Spain international says the Arsenal manager's "obsession" with "details" is one of the reasons he wanted to join the club.
"I don't know what he saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe. he explained. "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."
Zubimendi also says he is learning "a lot" from his new boss.
"I think I'm going to try to do things I didn't do before," he said. "Playing in that position, I'll try to bring balance and provide that passing outlet that I'm known for.
"Beyond that, I'm sure he'll ask me to do new things."
The midfielder is a statement signing for the Gunners and it is hoped he can be the catalyst to help the club to begin a new era of winning trophies after coming so close in recent seasons.
"I hope so," said Zubimendi. "The most important thing about this club is that they learn from previous seasons.
"I think the lessons they've learned from how last season ended will be key to getting even closer to this year's targets.
"Ultimately, I believe that football comes down to details, especially in the Champions League.
"In that semi-final, Arsenal were the only team in that semi-final who truly stood up to PSG [Paris St-Germain], and they let it slip because of minor details."