Martin Keown suggests Arsenal star has made biggest impact of any signing in Europe

Martin Keown has heaped praise on Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, claiming he hasn’t seen any summer signing across Europe make ‘such an impact’ this season.

The Gunners saw off strong competition from Real Madrid to capture Zubimendi in a deal worth around £56million back in early July, with the 26-year-old rejecting Premier League rivals Liverpool 12 months earlier.

And Zubimendi has quickly settled into life in north London, making an immediate impression with a string of assured performances at the heart of Mikel Arteta’s midfield.

The Spain international has also proven he can chip in and contribute in front of goal having scored a superb double in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest to further endear himself to the Emirates faithful last month.

It therefore came as no surprise when Zubimendi was named among the nominees for the PFA Premier League Fans’ Player of the Month award for September – alongside Omar Alderete, Ryan Gravenberch, Erling Haaland, Nick Pope, and Antoine Semenyo – on Tuesday.

The former Real Sociedad man will no doubt be desperate to pick up where he left off after the international break when top-of-the-table Arsenal return to Premier League action away to Fulham.

‘Across Europe, I don’t really see anybody that has come in and integrated so well, made such an impact,’ ex-Arsenal and England defender Keown said of Zubimendi on talkSPORT.

‘The goals he scored [against Nottingham Forest], the header, but he makes everything tick.

‘He came on at the weekend [against West Ham] and it was seamless when he came on.

‘[Martin] Odegaard going off would have been an absolute disaster last season, but not this season.’

Keown feels Arsenal’s greater ‘strength in depth’ has played a significant role in the club’s encouraging start, when previously Arteta may have been struggled to replace the likes of Kai Havertz and Odegaard.

‘It’s going remarkably well. It’s about keeping calm, building on that confidence, hoping everyone comes back from international duty,’ the three-time Premier League winner added.

‘Lots of the lads have got a big mid-week now to try and qualify for the World Cup, but the Arsenal story is going really well.

‘Strength in depth, that’s what it’s about. There are two players in every position.

‘There’s a little bit of an issue for the strikers, obviously. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz are still injured and Martin Odegaard has now taken another blow.

‘But the strength of the squad means it doesn’t trouble me. We’ve now got the players there to bring in and replace.’

According to Keown, Arsenal haven’t yet played to Viktor Gyokeres strengths enough following the striker’s big-money summer arrival from Sporting.

But the former England centre-back has seen positive signs that Gyokeres is beginning to build more an understanding with his new team-mates in recent games.

‘I see it as a working progress. He’s getting fitter, he’s a bull of a striker,’ Keown said of Gyokeres.

‘He has to be top level in terms of his fitness and we’ve seen that now, signs that he’s getting that strength.

‘Odegaard was definitely taking fewer touches [against Olympiakos] and it was going through the Arsenal midfield much quicker. I’m thinking back to the Arsene Wenger years when everything was one touch, two touch.

‘They’ve not used him [Gyokeres] enough but that’s changing now and I think he will profit from that.’