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English Premier League: English Premier League club Arsenal is close to completing a deal to sign Spain international midfielder Martin Zubimendi for a fee of 60 million euros (68 million US dollars) from Real Sociedad.

Both the Spanish and UK media reported on Wednesday that Zubimendi is in London to have his medical check, with the deal expected to be completed by Thursday. He will be the second Spain international midfielder to join Arsenal from Real Sociedad in a year after Mikel Merino made the same move in the summer of 2024, reports Xinhua.

Whereas Merino is used to playing a more advanced role and even ended the season playing as a striker, Zubimendi tends to play just ahead of the defense in a holding role, although he is capable of pushing further upfield. Arsenal view him as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who is currently the only true holding midfielder at the club.