Arsenal midfielder’s comments contradict pundit after ‘stolen’ claim | OneFootball

Jamie Carragher’s accusation that Mikel Arteta “stole” Martin Zubimendi from Liverpool has dominated the airwaves, but the Spaniard’s own explanation paints a very different picture.

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Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher claimed: “I’m convinced now that Mikel Arteta definitely stole him from Liverpool. He had agreed to come to Liverpool. He said he was coming – and at the last minute he said, ‘I don’t want to come. I’ll have another year [at Real Sociedad]’.”

Carragher went further, suggesting Arteta exploited his Basque heritage to persuade the midfielder to wait for Arsenal instead: “Mikel Arteta’s from the Basque area. There’s no doubt he’s been into him and said ‘We’re signing [Mikel] Merino this season, we’ll come for you next season’.”

That narrative, however, is at odds with Zubimendi’s own public account of why he stayed at Real Sociedad in 2024.

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In an interview with The Athletic he explained: “It wasn’t an easy time. I wanted to stay at La Real, but when offers come in, you start thinking about your options. The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to leave – and it wasn’t the right time. I felt La Real offered me more opportunities and that I still had a lot to learn, so staying was the best decision.”

When the move to Arsenal was completed this summer, Zubimendi was clear that his decision was based on footballing considerations rather than any manipulation. “I don’t know what he saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe. I wanted a quality coach when I left Real Sociedad. I think I’ve found him,” he said.

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Arteta himself described it as “a really well-orchestrated plan by the club and everybody that was involved in it, to understand how we could get what we wanted in two different years.”

Arsenal had already secured Mikel Merino in 2024 and were laying the groundwork for Zubimendi’s arrival the following summer.

By March 2025, according to The Athletic, the deal was nearly complete, with interim sporting director Jason Ayto playing a key role in finalising negotiations that had been ongoing since the previous summer.

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Liverpool’s approach also weakened their own hand. Reliable reports claim the club told Zubimendi he would need to trigger his release clause personally, effectively forcing a messy exit from the club where he had come through the academy.

By contrast, Arsenal respected Real Sociedad’s stance that losing both Merino and Zubimendi in the same window was not feasible, and the player’s desire to stay another year.

Carragher’s frustration is understandable, Zumbimendi is a brilliant player and Liverpool lost out, but the accusation of “stealing” does not withstand scrutiny, nor does his claim Zubimendi agreed to join Liverpool. Zubimendi’s decision to wait a year was consistent with his loyalty to Sociedad and his desire to develop as a player his way, not evidence of underhand tactics.

Arsenal identified him early, planned meticulously, and built trust over time.

Rather than being “stolen”, Zubimendi was won over by a manager he admired and a project that was prepared to fit with his timing.

Carragher’s words may have created headlines, but the midfielder’s own account and the club’s strategy reveal a far more logical story: Arsenal outmanoeuvred Liverpool simply by respecting the player.