tbh I am very happy with Merino as a sub option
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Yeah that would be odd.
I donāt see Rice as long term world class 8. Youāre not getting the most out of yout 100M investment this way.
On the other hand if Zubi is ment to be a squad player, Iām not happy about spending 50M on a squad player.
Either way this doesnāt seem like smart squad building at all.
Heās coming in as a nailed on starter
I think this wraps our senior midfielder signings for some time.
Rice, Zubi, Merino and Odegaard will be the senior core with Nwaneri, MLS and that Dowman kid supporting them.
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Rice and Zubiā¦ That sounds like a very exciting midfieldā¦
NOT!!
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Yeah then itās even worse because we still donāt really get more creative in midfield.
Not unless vieira somehow pops off lol
More system players, zero creativity.
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Hold up, not saying Zubi isnāt creative but heās not more creative than partey or jorgi from what Iāve seen.
He will simply fill the gap of those guys. Similar role.
Huge investment on the kids really. Thatās why they sent Fabio and ESR packing, and thatās from Arteta himself.
Seems like Arteta is devoid of it
Such a negative manager
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Interesting that this should leak exactly when the Arsenal fan base is getting a bit miffed. Merino and Zuba are different types of player, I think it was always Artetaās intention to buy these two to compliment Rice and Lewis-Skelly as our 4 central players.
This has nothing to do with the search for a striker nor will it impact that search.
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Yeah, but after we got a guy like Rice in the meantime (after Partey and Jorgi), I think we need a different profile in our midfield now, not a guy who is primiarily a controler, a relatively conservative/balanced 6 like Zubat.
We need more progression and creation next to Rice. Iād have a guy like Kroos, or Macallister, something along those lines, behind Rice there.
This just feels superconservative. Very Everton. Very Moyes.
Heās about to turn 26 too. Not the youngest either.
Really feels undewhelming for me, aside the sheere fact weāre singing somebody, which is always fun.
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No dopamine rush from that link tbh
He looks very neat and tidy, we need difference makers through sheer individual ability who can unlock the midfield because itās starting to become clear it wonāt be down to Artetaās tactics
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Yeah, as said, unless we assemble a brilliant, world class front 3, that will dominate individually, that midfield will struggle to make a difference and just as we do now.
Even with that ādominantā front 3, that Zubi, Rice, Ode midfield will have many issues against many tougher oppositions.
Will look good while all are in top shape, but once one of them struggles, you just donāt have enough real difference making quality across that midfield.
Seems like a very sideways move. Doesnāt solve any of our issues aside filling the squad after Partey and Jorgi leave, but we have bigger issues than that.
What is Partey defined as to you? The most risk inducing midfielder we have and Iād say heās reigning it in right now too. Heās the embodiment of a line-breaker and Iām not sure he gets to do much of that considering how we are recently playing tight outside the opposition box.
Big picture thinking, we need to change our current approach/style to unlock the stuff you talk about imo.
Maybe weāre moving in a different direction (in the future) on how we deploy the midfielders?
Zubimendi and Rice can work in tandem, it doesnāt necessarily stop us from signing someone more creative for the LM position - Eze, Baena or we move MLS into that position.
May very well be that Zubimendi is a downgrade on Partey on the ball
Actually itās likely so yeah diminishing returns for what we actually need, he is indeed a good player but itās the fit that is questionable
Could be there Zubimendi can offer more but would Arteta even be someone to coax it out of him? Iām not really liking how heās building this midfield both personnel wise and in terms of instruction
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If heās a robust athlete, then Iām good. The inverting fullbacks can do their fair share of playmaking, and with more confidence and effectiveness if Zubidooby has the legs.
I donāt think you need much more than what weāll have in midfield itās all about how we approach the game. Henderson, Fabinho and Wijnaldum wasnāt a technically astute midfield but they were quick in transitions and physical on the ball.
If our focus is getting the ball to the front 3 as quickly as possible and we have players that are good at attacking the full back then a physical midfield can be beneficial.
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Youāre highlighting how brilliant Partey is at breaking the lines and then to go on to say itās good to have a very conservative player in stead of himā¦ Withouth really highlighting how do we compensate for the lack of those qualities?
I would really love to hear how you imagine this midfield of Zubimendi&Rice being very good at breaking lines, what kind of setup/approach makes you hopeful about it?
I donāt see any.
Zubi is a pretty average athlete too btw. At least with a guy with more pronounced athleticsm you coule maybe rely more on the intensity (that was maybe the idea behind Caicedo & Rice).
I coule understand that one, but all I see here is mediocrity and limitations.
Zubi is a decent player looked in pure isolation, but when I look at that midfield it doesnāt solve many of our issues atm, and one of the biggest oneās is our ball proggression, or cration if the final third (itās not all about the front 3 and Ode).
Btw, I donāt think a guy like Eze is solving the creative issues for that midfield. We are talking more about a guy like Ribery or Ronaldinho. 
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Thatās the issue. I donāt see this midfield super physical either.
As far as I know Zubi seems like a pretty average athlete, doesnāt seem like someone eqipped for some high intensity football style.
Also, talking about that Liverpool team, you canāt compare us to them at all. The quality they had on the flanks (their full backs ans wingers combined) is something we can only dream about, plus Firmino who was helping that midield a lot in that final third.