Mart the missing part for Art

MARTIN ZUBIMENDI has been part of Mikel Arteta's midfield master-plan for more than a year.

- BY JOHN CROSS Chief Football Writer

And now, finally, Arsenal boss Arteta has got the missing piece of the jigsaw with the £51million arrival of one of Europe's top midfielders.

Arteta actually wanted to buy Zubimendi AND Mikel Merino last summer but Real Sociedad did not want to sell both of their star midfielders in the same transfer window.

Merino, 29, arrived in a £32m deal but Arsenal used that as an opportunity to sew the seeds for the Zubimendi move and were prepared to be patient.

This, after all, was a player tracked by Arsenal, who tried to get him even before last summer.

But the Spaniard has always been a 'home bird', reluctant to leave his home in San Sebastian after 15 years at Real Sociedad.