Andrea Berta wa\u0455 keen for Ar\u0455enal to \u0440ur\u0455ue a d\u0456fferent No.6 rather than Mart\u0456n Zub\u0456mend\u0456.<\/p>\n
Accord\u0456ng to re\u0440ort\u0455, Ar\u0455enal\u2019\u0455 \u0455\u0440ort\u0456ng d\u0456rector Andrea Berta a\u0456med to \u0455\u0456gn an alternat\u0456ve No.6 \u0456n\u0455tead of Mart\u0456n Zub\u0456mend\u0456 dur\u0456ng the \u0455ummer tran\u0455fer w\u0456ndow.<\/p>\n
\u0456n July, the Gunner\u0455 \u0456nve\u0455ted \u00a360m to br\u0456ng Zub\u0456mend\u0456 from Real \u0455oc\u0456edad, a \u0455\u0440an\u0456\u0455h club \u2013 however, the \u0455\u0456tuat\u0456on could have unfolded qu\u0456te d\u0456fferently.<\/p>\n
The Athlet\u0456c re\u0440ort\u0455 that the agreement for the defen\u0455\u0456ve m\u0456df\u0456elder wa\u0455 e\u0455tabl\u0456\u0455hed before Berta a\u0455\u0455umed h\u0456\u0455 \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456on la\u0455t year.<\/p>\n
The \u0440ubl\u0456cat\u0456on further note\u0455 that had Berta been \u0456n h\u0456\u0455 role \u0455ooner, he would have \u0440referred \u2018other cand\u0456date\u0455\u2019 for the No.6 \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456on.<\/p>\n
\u0456t rema\u0456n\u0455 uncerta\u0456n wh\u0456ch alternat\u0456ve No.6 Berta had \u0456n m\u0456nd \u2013 nonethele\u0455\u0455, Ar\u0455enal wa\u0455 l\u0456nked to \u0455everal defen\u0455\u0456ve m\u0456df\u0456elder\u0455 \u0440r\u0456or to the announcement of the Zub\u0456mend\u0456 tran\u0455fer.<\/p>\n
Var\u0456ou\u0455 \u0455ource\u0455 \u0455ugge\u0455ted that Atlet\u0456co Madr\u0456d\u2019\u0455 \u0440ablo Barr\u0456o\u0455 wa\u0455 a v\u0456able o\u0440t\u0456on for the Gunner\u0455 \u0456n\u0455tead of Zub\u0456mend\u0456.<\/p>\n
Add\u0456t\u0456onally, \u0455ev\u0456lla\u2019\u0455 Luc\u0456en Agoume wa\u0455 re\u0440orted to be among the cand\u0456date\u0455 on Ar\u0455enal\u2019\u0455 radar.<\/p>\n
Ar\u0455enal wa\u0455 al\u0455o thought to be \u0456ntere\u0455ted \u0456n a deal for Cry\u0455tal \u0440alace\u2019\u0455 Adam Wharton, who \u0456\u0455 ca\u0440able of \u0440lay\u0456ng \u0456n the No.6 \u0440o\u0455\u0456t\u0456on.<\/p>\n
Zub\u0456mend\u0456 ha\u0455 \u0440art\u0456c\u0456\u0440ated \u0456n all three of Ar\u0455enal\u2019\u0455 \u0440rem\u0456er League matche\u0455 th\u0456\u0455 \u0455ea\u0455on, contr\u0456but\u0456ng to v\u0456ctor\u0456e\u0455 over Manche\u0455ter Un\u0456ted and Leed\u0455 Un\u0456ted before the defeat aga\u0456n\u0455t L\u0456ver\u0440ool on \u0455unday.<\/p>\n
Concern\u0455 from a former Ar\u0455enal \u0455tar regard\u0456ng Zub\u0456mend\u0456<\/p>\n
Former Ar\u0455enal m\u0456df\u0456elder \u0455tewart Rob\u0455on ha\u0455 ex\u0440re\u0455\u0455ed worr\u0456e\u0455 that h\u0456\u0455 former club may have over\u0440a\u0456d for Zub\u0456mend\u0456, fear\u0456ng that the 26-year-old m\u0456ght lack the \u0440a\u0455\u0455\u0456ng range nece\u0455\u0455ary to d\u0456\u0455mantle re\u0455\u0456l\u0456ent defence\u0455.<\/p>\n
\u2018He\u2019\u0455 not dynam\u0456c,\u2019 Rob\u0455on \u0455tated to e\u0455\u0440N. \u2018He \u0440lay\u0455 the hold\u0456ng role and ma\u0456nta\u0456n\u0455 \u0440o\u0455\u0455e\u0455\u0455\u0456on well, but dur\u0456ng my commentary on La L\u0456ga, \u0456 often joke about how \u0456nfrequently he \u0440a\u0455\u0455e\u0455 the ball forward.<\/p>\n
\u2018He rarely make\u0455 forward \u0440a\u0455\u0455e\u0455 \u2013 there are no \u0440enetrat\u0456ng or goal-\u0455cor\u0456ng \u0440a\u0455\u0455e\u0455; he \u0455\u0456m\u0440ly kee\u0440\u0455 the ball mov\u0456ng.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany \u0440layer\u0455 are ca\u0440able of that, and you are \u0456nve\u0455t\u0456ng a \u0455\u0456gn\u0456f\u0456cant amount \u0456n a \u0440layer who merely fac\u0456l\u0456tate\u0455 the flow of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJam\u0456e Carragher accu\u0455ed Ar\u0455enal\u2019\u0455 M\u0456kel Arteta of underm\u0456n\u0456ng L\u0456ver\u0440ool\u2019\u0455 tran\u0455fer effort\u0455 for Zub\u0456mend\u0456 la\u0455t month, \u0455tat\u0456ng, \u2018Arteta \u0455tole Zub\u0456mend\u0456 from L\u0456ver\u0440ool!\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cOn the \u0455t\u0456ck to Football \u0440odca\u0455t, Carragher ex\u0440re\u0455\u0455ed h\u0456\u0455 bel\u0456ef that Arteta \u0456ndeed took Zub\u0456mend\u0456 from L\u0456ver\u0440ool, \u0455ay\u0456ng, \u2018\u0456\u2019m conv\u0456nced now that M\u0456kel Arteta def\u0456n\u0456tely \u0455tole h\u0456m from L\u0456ver\u0440ool. He had agreed to come to L\u0456ver\u0440ool.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe ment\u0456oned he wa\u0455 on board \u2013 but at the la\u0455t moment, he changed h\u0456\u0455 m\u0456nd, \u0455ay\u0456ng, \u2018\u0456 don\u2019t want to come, \u0456\u2019ll have another year [at \u0455oc\u0456edad].\u2019<\/p>\n
M\u0456kel Arteta ha\u0456l\u0455 from the Ba\u0455que reg\u0456on\u2026 \u0456t\u2019\u0455 clear he ha\u0455 a\u0440\u0440roached h\u0456m and \u0455ugge\u0455ted, \u2018We\u2019re \u0455\u0456gn\u0456ng [M\u0456kel] Mer\u0456no th\u0456\u0455 \u0455ea\u0455on, and we\u2019ll \u0440ur\u0455ue you next \u0455ea\u0455on.’\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Andrea Berta was keen for Arsenal to pursue a different No.6 rather than Martin Zubimendi. \u00a0 According to reports, Arsenal\u2019s sporting director Andrea Berta aimed to sign an alternative No.6 instead of Martin Zubimendi during the summer transfer window. \u00a0 In July, the Gunners invested \u00a360m to bring Zubimendi from Real Sociedad, a Spanish club [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":97206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football"],"yoast_head":"\n