Zubimendi, Gravenberch, Caicedo and Ugarte’s 2024/25 Statistics Compared

It seemed as though last summer the Spanish international Martin Zubimendi was Premier League-bound. It became apparent that Arne Slot had pinpointed him as his primary transfer target after arriving at Liverpool, and he was viewed as the ideal candidate to slot into the ‘number six’ role that was considered, at the time, to be a weak link in the Reds’ squad.

To the shock of many, Zubimendi ultimately decided to turn down the now Premier League leaders, choosing to stay put in Spain at Real Sociedad. Just half a year later, and it looks like the 25-year-old is going to make the switch to English football after all. He’s even going to play for a team in red. But it won’t be Liverpool, as it has been reported that Arsenal have swooped in and will complete a deal for the midfielder in the summer.

The Gunners have been desperate to get over the finishing line and end the season at the summit of the Premier League for a couple of seasons now, but have taken some steps backward during the 2024/25 campaign. The hope is that Zubimendi could play an integral role in their pursuit this season. With that in mind, GIVEMESPORT has decided to take a look at how the Sociedad star compares to some of the Premier League’s finest holding midfielders – Ryan Gravenberch, Moises Caicedo, and Manuel Ugarte.

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Possession Stats

Zubimendi loses possession more often than his counterparts

One might think that playing in a Spanish team and in a league where keeping hold of possession is nine-tenths of the law, Zubimendi would stand out in this area. However, the numbers don’t lie, and the Spaniard fails to lead in any of the relevant categories. With the exception of Ugarte, he has averaged the fewest number of passes per game, he has the worst pass accuracy, and the second-lowest number of passes in the opposition half (again, only ahead of Ugarte).

What the Uruguayan has going for him is that he has the highest pass accuracy of all the players, despite the fact he has played the fewest backward and forward passes – suggesting that he may be a little more adventurous. The Red Devil also has the best score when it comes to losing the ball, something that Zubimendi is once again the worst at, being dispossessed an average of 11.4 times per game in La Liga this term.

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Creating Chances

Caicedo the most creative but Zubimendi succssful in take-ons

While none of these four players’ primary jobs is to create chances for their teammates – with that being left to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Bruno Fernandes – it is still a key component of being a midfielder, regardless of whether you’re the anchorman or the playmaker. Luckily for Zubimendi, this is where he begins to look more impressive.

The 25-year-old finally tops the charts, both in forward passes played and in take-on success rate. This shows that he is definitely a forward-thinking player, which is exactly what Mikel Arteta will want. Many have believed that the combination play between Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka has become too predictable, so adding Zubimendi to the mix, with these stats to back him up, could freshen up patterns of play a little. However, it is Caicedo who creates the most chances for his teammates per game and has more assists as a result too.

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Defensive Stats

Zubimendi set to provide a more sturdy defensive option

While it hasn’t been the prettiest of readings for Zubimendi offensively, the stats do help his case defensively. Of the seven categories, the Sociedad man comes out on top in three, more than any of his counterparts.

Zubimendi leads the way in ground duel success, being the only player to have managed a rate higher than 60%. He has also made double the amount of clearances as anyone else and averaged more blocked shots too. Furthermore, he is also second in aerial duel success, suggesting that he is no slouch when it comes to winning headers either.

Gravenberch is his closest competitor, with the Dutchman evolving into one of the best midfielders English football has to offer right now. Gravenberch’s role at Liverpool is the one that surely would’ve fallen to Zubimendi had he made the switch to Anfield.

Conclusion

Zubimendi an ideal partner for Rice

Arsenal’s biggest weak point is clearly the fact they don’t have a world-class number nine. That is probably the main concern when it comes to this deal. It’s a question of why Arteta hasn’t addressed the problem area and is instead looking at adding reinforcements that aren’t of the highest priority.

However, if he is going to make the move, then it looks on paper like one that would suit his team. While Zubimendi is far from a world-beater in possession, he provides great stability defensively while being competent on the ball. He will also allow Declan Rice to be a little more adventurous, rather than sitting back too much at times, where the Englishman is actually at his weakest. Overall, this is a good deal, though the timing of it does seem peculiar.

All statistics courtesy of Squawka – accurate as of 14/01/2025.