The phrase "new high volume" has become a highlight in the message that Arsenal sent for the 2025-2026 season. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes used the phrase in an interview last week to describe his ambition to end a five-year winless streak. Coach Mikel Arteta also mentioned it at the press conference opening the club's pre-season tour in Asia.
Of course, this is a somewhat cautious message compared to the statement of "first destination" - in fact, the only thing Arsenal can improve after 3 consecutive seasons finishing second in the Premier League. Finding a new expression for the same goal is never easy.
Perhaps the biggest reason for this new wave of optimism - at least until striker Viktor Gyokeres completes the transfer deal from Sporting CP - is the appearance of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
This is a £51 million deal that the "Gunners" are particularly proud of, not only because of the talent of this player, but also because of his impressive comeback in the competition with Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
The deal also marks the peak of Arsenal's 2-year strategy. They planned to sign Mikel Merino last summer and Zubimendi in the current transfer window.
The Spaniard was originally set to join Liverpool in 2024. However, Zubimendi unexpectedly decided to stay at Real Sociedad, thereby creating conditions for The Gunners to implement the plan to bring both midfielders to the Emirates.
Now, the pair who were once pillars of La Real are sitting next to each other in Arsenal's shirt, watching Singapore's brilliant horizon at night, while Zubimendi quietly reflects on his new environment.
"It was not an easy time for me, because I really wanted to stay at Real Sociedad. But when the offer comes, you start to seriously think about your options.
The first question I need to answer is whether I am ready to leave Real Sociedad. And at that time, the answer was not. I feel Real Sociedad still give me many opportunities to develop, and I have a lot to learn. Therefore, staying at Real Sociedad at that time was the right choice" - Zubimendi shared.
Recruiting two players from the same club for two consecutive summers is a relatively rare transfer strategy. Things became more complicated when sporting director Edu unexpectedly left his position, dragging along assistant Jason Ayto - the duo who had built this recruitment plan from the beginning.
Andrea Berta was appointed to replace Edu in March, which coincided with Zubimendi's official commitment to join Arsenal.
"I think this is a very well-built plan for the club and all the people involved to understand how we can achieve what we want in two different years and both at the same time," said Arteta.
Zubimendi played excellently in 6th place for Real Sociedad last season. In La Liga, no other teammate has more successful passes (1479) and more improved passes (239) than him. And the midfielder also came in second in tackles (73) and recoveries (140) for Real Sociedad.
Clearly, Arsenal have every right to expect when Zubimendi and Merino both appear in midfield.
