What would Martin Zubimendi bring to Arsenal?
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The only way to score is, of course, to play with a hand-break-off.

That Martin Zubimendi will be the Arsenal's first signing of the summer. Today we'll be talking about why be a great fit, his quality, his how he's slotting to the side and how he'd benefit those around him to do so. I'm joined by Art de Rocha and Adrian Clarke. Morning. Good morning. Hello everybody. Your voice alright, Art? You sounded like a little horse there. Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. Okay, you've been shouting at FIFA or whatever it's called now.

Anyway, we had an email this morning. Hey, Stoney and the rest of the handbrake off mob. Mob. Really? But okay, we'll take that. I am a day one listener from Australia and a long admirer of Clarkie and his post-playing analytical work in the media.

That's nice, isn't it, Clark? It's nice. I love my football shirts, he says. I love my football shirts. I'm a few off owning every shirt from 1991 to 2025. Good collection. I also own a heat press to compliment this hobby.

Great. I've owned a 1994-96 home shirt for a while, and as a nod to Clarkie and his dedication to Arsenal, I've printed up his name and number on the shirt. Number 30 for the 1994-95 season, along with the Premier League patches used in that era. The pictures are attached. Only we can see that, obviously. Continue the great work, guys. Kind, real hard, Shaheen. Well, Shaheen, thank you. That's really sweet. Clarkie, I mean, what have you got to say? I mean, it's lovely, that shirt.

Yeah, huge thank you to Shaheen. Yeah, I really appreciate it. And the shirt looks tremendous, I've got to say. It looks really, really nice. Yeah, it is a bit of a classic kit, isn't it? I think it's kind of retro cool now, that particular edition. But yeah, the Clark 30 looks very, very nice. So yeah, chuffed with that. It's a nice email to wake up to. But look, I'm the lucky one. I get to talk about Arsenal all the time. It's great and call it a job.

So, yeah. Yeah. But obviously, from me and Art's perspective, you played for the Arsenal, Adrian. That's also, there's not a lot of luck involved. Obviously, there is. Art, you've got a nice collection of shirts now, haven't you? I mean, you're adding to it. I mean, these things are fashion items now, aren't they? To be fair. I mean, I've seen some of that. I mean, I like the look of the new kit.

for one thing the new home kit yes nice yeah i'm waiting before i get that one i want to see what the others look like before because now they're finally doing the long sleeves in the authentic kind of cuts if that makes sense they go quick don't they the long sleeves yeah yeah i'm

a big fan of the long sleeves but yeah the collection's coming along strong I haven't got a Clark 30 Adrian you've got one on your wall there you've got Clark 29 behind you we're looking at it now yeah no I've got a few in the loft yeah my own ones

I love it. I often go on classic football shirts and I'm always tempted to sort of get some old school ones. Do you get the new ones? Do you get the new ones now? I mean, there's two or three come out every year and they are lovely, some of them. I've got a couple next door. I've bought the new one from my boy already. Yeah. So he's got the new one. I really like it. I really, really like it. It's obviously got the

the old school A from my era sort of embroidered into it, which I think looks really cool actually. But yeah, if I was to sort of seek out one,

I'll tell you my fave is 86-87 Littlewoods Cup final shirt. Absolute classic in my opinion. It's Adidas with the, you know, the trefoil on there. It's got the cannon. And for me, it was the first time I sort of fell in love with Arsenal really that season, that game. I was at the game. And I just think it's a classic.

a classic Adidas Arsenal kit very simple but classy JVC on the front see I'd probably get 10 on the back but not put the name because obviously didn't have names back in those days so if I could get a number on it I'd go 10 obviously for Charlie Nicholas who scored twice that day yeah that is a beauty of a kit might have to save up for it I think they're quite dear yeah

I imagine. There's a good retro football shirt place in Covent Garden, actually, in London, near a gig that I do quite regularly. And I'm in there once in a while. I do. I've got a number of shirts. I mean, I don't know. Just something yellow and blue, I think, really, is what I always love. That away kit, really. And the first one that I was sort of really aware of was 1971 Cup Final when Charlie George scored the winner. Oh, you're nodding. You know about this, obviously. And...

Shouldn't Arsenal always have yellow and blue as one of the options? I mean, that is the classic, isn't it? I think so. But you know what? These decisions are made based on who knows, marketing meetings and what have you. Oh, have you got a favourite Arsenal shirt? Probably.

Probably my first one, which was the 05-06 home. So the maroon and gold won last season at Highbury, obviously. So yeah, that was my first ever kit. No name on the back, unfortunately. It probably would have been nice to have one, but

I mean, maybe that makes it a bit more special. Who knows? If you had your own name on the back, can you get the accent as well on the E? So a couple of seasons later, I got the, do you remember the third shirt that was navy and burgundy with the gold printing? Bolting away the comeback. I remember it. So I got that for Christmas, I think it was. No name. And then went to the Emirates a couple of months later, asked for the accent. They didn't do it.

I was like, okay, no problem. They don't do accents. It's culturally insensitive. They didn't at the time.

And then when Fabregas came back and went to Chelsea, he had an accent on his name. I was like, what's going on here? I didn't even know he had an accent on his name. Yeah, the first A. Right. So exactly. Like maybe now they would, but I haven't got my own name on a shirt since 2008. Yeah. Before we start talking.

about we're going to have a chat about Martin Zubimendi we are aware that this is a podcast around a player we haven't actually signed yet uh so we're attempting fate but it does look likely but before we do that PSG in the Champions League final I mean it was uh I mean they played pretty well for the second best team in the competition I feel don't you think really yeah

I mean, they look, you know, there's a whole load of things to be said, but they look fabulous, didn't they, Adrian? And they are worthy winners of the competition. And putting aside the ownership, and obviously this is just something that we have to put up with in football, and that ship has, not only has it sailed, it's way over the horizon. There's really absolutely nothing we can do about it.

But they're a great team to watch. Definitely. Yeah, look, there are lots of people out there that can't separate it. And, you know, I found that out and I sort of tweeted praise of the PSG team at the weekend. You know, so many replies.

You know, talking about the ownership and the wage bill, which I believe is the highest in European football. Well, it's funny actually, Adrian, because I was talking to Jay, our producer, about this very thing, about why we didn't go in for current Skellier. But...

wages is got to be the answer right they they aside from enormous fees they can afford higher wages than anyone except probably city absolutely yeah that's completely the reason and yeah you have to take that into context but you know when i'm talking about football i tend not to get involved in that side of it if you know what i mean i just want to talk about what i see

in terms of the football. And as a football team, they're absolutely fantastic. And, you know, so young as well. So much, you know, room for improvement. But yeah, no, I think... I sat there watching it. Obviously, they schooled into Milan, sort of in every department. But I sat there watching it thinking...

You know, Arsenal got to take unbelievable confidence from how they performed, particularly in the first half of the game in Paris, because, you know, we scored them. You know, they didn't get a kick, basically. And we could have scored three or four goals if we'd have had a proper striker. So I think that, yeah, we can take a lot of encouragement from it. There are some teams in the world that Arsenal, unfortunately, probably can't compete with.

in terms of wages and transfer fees and PSG would be one of them. So yeah, it's unfair, I think, to sort of have pops at the club for losing out on players like

two teams that pay the kind of money that that PSG pay you know Manchester City are obviously you know pay crazy high money as well the kind that we just can't can't offer yeah and oh just talking about that team they are a team aren't they and I was I think that first goal was really indicative of how they played do I find himself in space but

he didn't look for the shot straight away. He was, is anyone better on? And, and he suddenly, you see the amount of space on a football field when it's used in that way. And, uh, Hakimi standing in the middle of Penny area with 10 yards around him in all directions. And he just side foots it in. And that it,

I was reminded of Thierry Henry, you know, who loved to assist as much as he loved to score. And if someone was in a better position, and Douay would have been very much within his rights to take a shot from that position, you know, and every possibility he would have scored as well the night he was having. But they are a team and they work very hard for each other. And is there a bit of you when you were watching that, that you thought, I wish Arsenal played this way? Yeah, and I think we might have mentioned it during the semi-final games that,

when you look at PSG you see football that you want your own team to be playing and it's a style of football that Arsenal have played in the past I think I've made my opinions on on where the style should go quite clear in recent podcasts but when you look at how PSG played throughout the the knockout stages I think Hakimi scored in the semis and the quarters yes he did yeah

And that just shows how fluid they are, but also the understanding they all have. And then the third goal as well is just exceptional, I think, with Dembele dropping back and that little ball roll in the centre of the pitch. What a beauty. It just opened up the entire pitch. Honestly. It was fantastic. So yeah, it was wonderful to watch and I was happy that they won, to be fair.

And also, I've talked about it on the pod before, but in football, you're never going to win a game unless you run really hard. And PSG, that goal really sums it up with Vitinha sort of picking the ball up on the right, a couple of gives and goes and just drives at the heart of the team. But, you know, you've got fullbacks like Hakimi that will run into the final third. You know, they really do work ever so hard in and out of position,

as we do, but there's a little bit more speed and a bit more, I guess, versatility to their attack. And they actually don't have a centre forward, do they? Because Dembele's a brilliant player who's scored lots of goals, but he's not really a striker. He kind of goes where he goes

goes where he wants yeah so you can do it without a striker but the difference is that they've got three or four players that are capable of scoring 15 plus goals a season and that's where what we don't have and that's what we need to to change but they're a really good team proper team Adrian mentioned and Vettinia just reminded me of the presses from before the first leg PSG put up obviously Luis Enrique the manager but also Vettinia as their player and

And they both got routinely asked about PSG's physicality. And they were getting progressively more noise the longer it went on. So yeah, I think it's interesting to see, again, a midfield like that set up with players who...

One of them, I wouldn't say couldn't make it at Wolves because that's not the right way to put it, but, you know, struggled there. And Jao Neves, who's four foot two, they've bossed everyone they've played. And I think, yeah, it was just really nice to see. Come City, Oslo! Come City, Oslo! Come City, Oslo!

See?

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Listeners, we want to hear from you. Check out the link in the description to give us your feedback on the show. Keep it civil now. What

what content you have enjoyed most and what you would like us to do differently next season. Thank you for your continued support. Now, last Wednesday, James McNicholas reported that the deal for Martin Zubinvendi from Real Sociedad for £51 million is in its final stages and that Arsenal at the point were there beginning to make arrangements for a medical and a visa. Let's check in with Athletics Football data writer Tom Harris on the Spaniards' role in the Sociedad team.

So Martin Zubimendi's role in the heart of his Real Sociedad team is all about balance and support, particularly when his teammates have the ball and they're looking to build up.

Quite often you'll see him drift out to the flanks to offer himself for the pass, drop deep to collect the ball from his goalkeeper, from his centre-backs, a lot of the time under pressure and with his back to goal. And basically just being prepared to put himself in potentially dangerous situations in order to be that spare man for his teammates, in order to be the escape route to make sure that things can keep moving up the pitch for Real Sociedad and they don't lose the ball while they're trying to build up.

So it's quite a selfless role, but for that reason, you'll also see he was a superman at the top of a lot of statistics such as passes, touches, carries. He's very involved in the build-up play.

You'll see him less in the final third. I don't think he'll pop up with too many assists or shots or passes into the box and be very incisive in that way. He's more about the first phase of build-up and playing those short, sharp passes and interlinking the play and getting Real Sociedad moving into the middle third rather than being that kind of creative presence a bit further up the pitch.

He's very natural when he receives a ball in terms of knowing when to accelerate into space, knowing when to recycle possession. And defensively as well, Zubimendi, you know, he's more about position. He's more about being anticipatory and waiting for the ball to come to him, making interceptions and recoveries rather than being aggressive. So it really makes sure that Arsenal will be covered in that kind of deeper role in midfield because he's a very kind of calming presence on the ball, but he's also very solid when

when it comes to defending that area as well. All right, well, look, Thomas Partey turns 32 next month, out of contract. Jorginho's likely to join Flamengo. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? Balance is the word I like to hear there. I like the fact that he basically fills in the gaps. Are you excited about this signing? Because I watched a highlights reel. No, no, I did. And I thought, of course you watch highlights reel. Obviously, quite a lot of times you watch highlights reel of strikers.

and they're banging him volleys from 40 yards out, and it's amazing, but it doesn't necessarily mean anything. But he's tidy, isn't he? He's very, very tidy, and obviously he's won stuff. He won with Spain at the Euros. I mean, what do you think? Yeah, I think when you're looking at this roster,

role in midfield you just want someone competent firstly and when you watch him play I think what kind of stood out to me most was I guess how he was receiving the ball that's something I spoke with Tom quite a bit about when we were writing a piece together last week on Zubimendi it was about okay he is in that area of the pitch but how is he actually receiving the ball when he's under pressure and he looked really natural as Tom said in his voice note there also I

I think what's probably key is the short passes he makes because when you look at, I think, Arsenal, that position in recent seasons, they've not really...

let the ball do the work enough I'd say so a lot of times that's when teams can just sit back and say okay break us down now even if it's a mid-block but I think those short shot passes should help drag opposition players out of position a bit more and actually maybe open the pitch up a bit more for Arsenal so that's kind of what I'm most looking forward to hopefully. Adrian

I mean, we'll talk about how he fits into the midfield with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard later, although it seems to me that he'll sit back and the two of them will be a bit further forward. But in a piece of the athletic, Tom describes Zubimendi as the Gen Z Sergio Busquets. I mean...

If we can get someone who plays a bit like Sergio Busquets, as much as I hated him playing for Barcelona, what a player. If he's somewhere near that level. Yeah, these sort of unsung players are a really important part of a team. You know, it's not all about... You can't have 11 players that score worldies. You've got to have players that are...

that are good decision makers. And I think with and without the ball, Martin Zubimendi makes the right decision, you know, 99 times out of a hundred. And I think that's really important quality, whether that's sort of getting in the right position to intercept a pass or whether it's to show for a pass and then to shift it on quickly to someone else. He just seems someone that makes teams a bit smoother. He's not a standout in terms of physically. You wouldn't look at the team and think, oh, wow, look at him.

But the work that he does, I think, is going to be really important. He's basically one of those players that should make everyone else around him better. And that's what Busquets did, wasn't it? Yeah. Well, I was thinking about Granit Xhaka as well. You know, that first phase of receiving the ball from the goalkeeper or the defenders...

And guys who are good at it, they make it look so simple. They pick up the ball and they've got three players who are close to them, but not, you know, not right on top of them. But their first touch is excellent. And obviously he's a Spanish footballer. We respect that from him. But they can pick up the ball, turn and get it and they can progress it forward. And obviously that's part of what he's good at, you know, progressing the ball up the pitch.

We got caught a bit, didn't we, really, at times this season? Particularly later on in the season when maybe David Rye's passing wasn't quite as good. Yeah, I mean, there was the one into Declan Rice. It was a bit of a hospital pass at Newcastle, wasn't there? There was...

Was it Thomas Partey got caught against Paris Saint-Germain? Mikel Mourinho against... Liverpool. Liverpool, yes. It happens. And it's not to say Ziv Mendy won't ever get caught in possession. Of course he will. But I think he's... Yeah, that's his speciality. You know, that's why he's very comfortable doing it. So, yeah, I think that that aspect of our game should improve. And it's just... It's basically that player there is there to sort of, yeah, break up play and win it back for us a bit. But...

It's really to get the ball into our forwards a second or two quicker with quality. And that can make all the difference when you're playing teams. And you know what it's like in the Premier League. They're so defensive against Arsenal. They're so scared of us.

It's not like the Champions League. And that's why we've struggled. So every second counts in terms of getting it into our forward players, because you want to get it into them before the defenders are set in their positions, before they're all back in the right position. And I think that Zubimendi will definitely help

set up better situations for us. There has been a bit of criticism about how ponderous is really too strong a word, but you know what I mean, that we just take too long. And when you watch PSG at the weekend, how quick they move that ball. Vitinha, he gets it, he gives it, and they're on the move. If he's one of those guys, Zubin Mendy, I mean, he's going to make, and as Adrian said, make everyone else nervous.

look better. And he's one of those guys, I guess, it's only when he's not in the team that you go, why are we all gummed up? Why is it not happening? I mean, Gilberto Silva had that as well, didn't he? And obviously, McAlealy at Real Madrid when he was first playing. He's one of those guys. Yeah. And I think the point on the speed of...

the play I think it's not just always making that pass in behind all the time it's also making I guess those more connective passes with players around him so maybe two or three passes between you and that's taken four players out of the game and when I was writing the piece last week the game that kind of stuck in my head from an Arsenal perspective was Chelsea away in the 22-23 season so the one where Gabriel scored from a corner at Stamford Bridge

And the main reason is because someone posted the clips from that game on Twitter recently. But when you look at the speed of the play in midfield, how quickly Arsenal can kind of just shift the ball away from pressure and start attacks, I think that's been missing dearly in the last couple of seasons. And

And Mikel Arteta has actually, I mean, mentioned ball speed quite often when Arsenal haven't won games. So you'd hope that that's an area that they improve next season. Quiet. Let's hear from the athletics tactics writer, Liam Tharm, and how the arrival of a player like Zubimendi could be just as important as a new number nine.

I think with Arsenal currently, it's really important to hold multiple different opinions all at once. The reality is that they need a goal scorer. But the trick, of course, has been finding the right kind of midfield combination, really, I think, to actually improve them in open play. That left number eight spot, of course, has been a problem for Mikel Arteta in sort of the post-Granite Jacket era. It's what Kai Havertz was signed initially for, to fulfil that spot as what better is the number nine. He's really seemed to prioritise physicality in that midfield. But it's come at a bit of a cost, I think, in terms of, you know,

We saw a drop off last season in terms of the open play creativity. They were having a little bit too reliant for my liking really on set pieces. I think especially to break games open, it wasn't just the sheer volume of goals, but there were plenty of games, especially in sort of mid-table, lower-table opposition where they needed a set piece goal to kind of break the game open and then would create more chances once, you know, the team was worn down a bit and had to come out and play against them a little bit more.

So I think really you can look at that sort of left number eight where Declan Rice will now go into as maybe that's what being filled. He has put up his personal best numbers in a season like he did last year for goals and assists. He's had a real box crashing threat, which has been really important for those insuline crossers, especially from the winners.

I think improving the midfield area is absolutely huge. It really struck me actually in one of their more recent games, Arsenal, you know, when they were struggling to play, play against the press. It was the Newcastle home game, in fact, where they did end up winning with a Declan Rice goal from range, but really didn't create much in open play. Martin Odegaard was dropping so, so deep at times, especially in deep build-up. I think you'd actually see perhaps a lot of improvement across the team if you can invest in perhaps a Zubin Mendy or, you know, a profile that's got that press resistance. Hopefully shoulder a bit more of the

the creativity burden and that's not just in terms of the final pass but a bit deeper downfield in terms of linking the play I think it's a little bit reductive I'm not saying it's wrong because I think you know they would be definitely improved by having a player that could score 15 to 20 goals but there's definitely ways they can improve in their build up and in open play especially Adrian

I know Liam was talking about the profile of the player. We're looking for attributes, aren't we, that will fit in with our other players in their best positions. And we now think that Detlef Rice, his best position, will be in that left eight position and getting forward. And we know Martin Odegaard plays on the other side, a little bit more nearer Bakayo Saka and whoever the fullback is. And so Zubin Mendy is going to play behind them, but...

Again, it's about filling in the stuff that is missing from the team. And that seems to be what he does very, very well. Yeah, definitely. I think the point that Liam made there about the size and physicality of Arsenal Smithfield is really important because it's like we've sort of maybe overcompensated by signing too many tall people, people that are really physically dominant. And it's made us an absolute force.

attacking set pieces but has it slowed down our build up play the answer is definitely yes you know whether it's Marino in there or Havertz in there and Partey as well these are all players that are bigger guys that are really good at certain things but

But are they brilliant at playing little one-twos in sharp areas and moving the ball between the lines like Kozula and Arteta did back in the day? The answer is probably no. So it's about getting the balance right. And you can have all little guys, PSG have. But I think for us, it's good to have a little bit of everything. And Zubamendi maybe counteracts the lack of balance that we've had.

So that for me is quite exciting. You know, him and Erdogan are really sharp, aren't they, on the ball? They're high touch players. Rice,

It surprised me how few touches he sometimes has because he can obviously play, but he's definitely someone that's developing into more of a ball carrier and someone that can sort of take the ball up the field and obviously someone that can crash the box as well, which is really important. It's absolutely fantastic to have a midfielder like that. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, he's proper box to box. And I just think that between the three of them, that's a really strong...

central midfield you could have the two couldn't you could have Zubi Mendy and Rice sat there at certain situations with Erdegaard in front and then when we get it with Myles Lewis Skelly coming into midfield it will be Skelly and Zubi with Rice and Erdegaard pushed on and that's your box of four midfield that you know hopefully can go and control games you know that that is how I kind of see it working you know when we're playing out from the back for instance you

it won't just be Zibumendi that maybe wants to go and show for the pass. It'll be Myles Lewis-Skelly as well. And then, you know, opponents will have a quandary over, you know, who they pick up and who, you know, if they get tight to both of them, we'll just miss them out and clip one into the, into Declan Rice or one of the forwards. So he will improve the balance of the team for sure. I,

And in terms of shouldering some of that creativity burden deeper down the field, I mean, Martin Odegaard was dropping so deep at certain points. And, you know, we can't expect him to be the main creative force in the field and pick the ball up from the goalkeeper and also lead the press. I mean, it's just physically not possible. And maybe if Zubin Mendy takes some of that

pressure off of him, he can do his damage further up the field, which is where we want him. Yeah, it was possible a couple of seasons ago, but now that teams play so differently against Arsenal, it's just not the case. And I think when watching him play for Sosichad, there were actually a lot of times where he was kind of playing passes that would allow them to exit pressure on their right-hand side. So it's something that he's kind

kind of used to already which is quite good and then hopefully as well

That will allow not just Odegaard to play higher, but also you get the right fallback into the game a bit more as well. And that should just open things up more. So yeah, I think having him at the base just allows you to do a lot of different things. And I think one of the things that Liam said is really important is that it's okay to have loads of different opinions on Arsenal at the same time. Not everything has to be black and white. So yeah, I think hopefully Zubin Mendy brings a bit more

shades of grey into that conversation. There are, let's be fair, there are loads of opinions, aren't there? To be fair. I mean, I like, the other thing I like, Adrian, is the relationship that he already has. He knows Mikel Moreno, both played together for Sociedad and Spain, also played with Martin Urdegaard at Real Sociedad. Mikel Arteta knows him. This is, this stuff really helps, doesn't it?

Oh, yeah, yeah, it definitely matters. And, you know, he was really loved as a saucy dad. And you've got to look at that and think, well, why was he loved? You know, he's obviously a good personality, a good character as well, as a really good player. And Arteta and Marino and all these guys, and Odegaard, they would definitely say to Arteta, yeah, he's a great lad. You know, what's he like? And that's really important, isn't it, for the dressing room? What I also like about him is that he'll shift the ball with both feet.

He's right-footed, Zubimendi, but he's...

he can play good passes sharp passes with his left as well so he's not one of these players that needs to sort of do a little pirouette to to get the ball onto his favorite foot he could just move it that that little bit more fluidly than than some individuals so i think that that's important he's also not afraid to carry the ball in tight areas so if there's two players around him he might drop a shoulder and just nip through the gap and then release somebody so i

I think he'll just do things probably a little bit more sharply than Thomas could, certainly in tight areas, which I think is really important when opponents like a Newcastle

are brave enough to go and press you and harass you. You know, having someone that could just maneuver the ball faster is important. Marino's name being brought up just before actually made me think of the bench as well, because I think when you look at the players that were on the bench for the PSG semifinal games, it's,

it was stacked with under 21s players and that's not a situation you want to be in at that stage of the season so I think one other aspect of this that is going to be quite helpful is our

Arsenal's depth options are going to look a lot stronger. If you have Mourinho coming off the bench, that's better than having someone who hasn't played a game for the first team. So I think that's another area where you look at, I guess, the recruitment and say, OK, not just improving what's going on in the starting XI, but then also making the bench a lot stronger as well. Mourinho comes in, Arsenal! Comes in, Arsenal! Mourinho comes in!

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They get a humbric off and you can see that they are more free to play. Can I ask you guys a question? If Thomas Partey doesn't stay, do you think we would need to replace him with somebody else? Probably, yeah. Because I do. I just think we're too light with Zubimendi, Rice...

Erdogan's a different type of player. Mourinho, you know, you can add to that. I think we need one more, don't we? Myles Lewis-Skelly. Myles Lewis-Skelly is certainly looking like he could play in midfield. Has done so, obviously, in the past. You can't keep Ricky Calafiori out of midfield when he's on the field.

To be honest with you, he's just... And Uri and Timber can step in as well. Listen, the more strength in depth we got, the better. I don't know if Mikel Arteta feels the same way that Pep Guardiola does, that he just wants a squad of 18 or something to work with. But it certainly didn't work out last season for us. The squad was too small. What do you think, Art? Yeah, I think when you look at all...

I guess the way he's built that squad is from the bottom up. So many defenders, but even that doesn't seem like it's enough when all the injuries and suspensions kick in. So yeah, I'd agree with Adrian that if that was to happen, you'd probably need an extra player in there, in that midfield area. Kai Havertz can step back as well, remember? Assuming that we sign a number nine or two. Yeah, but this is the thing now. You need to have...

good options and different options as well to play different ways so I think it'd be really interesting not at the start of the season but maybe around Christmas time to see how some of these players are being used because there are different ways that they they can be set up

Yeah, I mean, let's be fair, nobody would have thought that Mikel Moreno would have been close to our top goal scorer at the end of last season. And by the way, I should say that, you know, if there's some issue with the signing, ignore this entire podcast. By the way, I'm assuming he's coming. Yeah, let's hope we've not got egg on our face. One other point of interest, and I'm sure this is one of the reasons why Mikel's so interested, he has played over 30 league games and

in each of the last five seasons. Certain players have been injury-free before they came to us before and then ended up getting injured a lot. But his body seems fairly robust up until this point. We'll see how he copes with the Premier League, though, which we know is physically...

I say we know, but it seems to be physically a step up from pretty much anywhere else on earth. The number of games and all the rest of it. But, all right. It's pleasingly old school to have two Martins in midfield as well, don't you think? I did think about that. It's something very 80s, Adrian. You must feel very happy. Yeah, it is. Yeah.

Yeah, and neither of them English. Neither of them English. Yeah, just a bit random, isn't it? All I'll say with Super Mendy is you can't judge all players on stats. So when you're looking at the stats of Super Mendy, you'll probably look at it and think, is he all that? Do you know what I mean? But I just think he's one of these players that does lots of things very well that are not necessarily...

built around numbers and data. I think he does a lot of the dirty work very well. Quietly efficient. And the fact that Liverpool wanted him as well, Art. We know how much there was talk he was going to go to Liverpool last season. He's one of those guys that managers, coaches and what have you, they see the value and obviously the other players perhaps a bit more than the fans. And the other thing to say as well is Liverpool

that the fan base will get more excited when a striker comes in, but it's not necessarily the signing that is transformational. Yeah, I think, yeah, obviously the player I'm going to name, probably, I don't know, you guys can correct me if I'm wrong, but it's not the level of like Liverpool wanting him, but obviously Jorginho coming in was really important when you look back at it.

Because there were times where, I say, even last season, he was the guy who was kind of knitting things together, making things tick in that midfield. And you see how important a player like that is when you don't have them. Yeah, not showy, but just makes everything...

move a bit the oil in the engine if you like plus the fact that he had a 25 yarder away at Villa that came off Emery Martin's head and so you know for that alone but yeah one of those guys well we look forward to seeing him let's have a song to finish Art do you have a song for us yeah yeah it's not related to anything Arsenal or anything football is it not no I was just like

What's a song? So have you heard of Kid Cudi?

Do you know, I can't say that I have. I almost made a joke there and say, yeah, he's around here now. He's downstairs. Why didn't you ask me? I'll take great offense for that. I'm sure you don't. He knew Adrian, you know. No, I don't know Kid Cudi. I know his dad, obviously. Yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously. What about him? I'm going to go for Intergalactic by Kid Cudi, just because it's vibes. It sounds, it's...

You can see the colours in the sounds. Hello. It's about mushrooms. I don't do that, but it's a good song. All right. Keep cutting. About mushrooms. Who doesn't like an omelette? Adrian, what about you? What have we got? Very different type of music, I would have thought. No, really? Yeah.

Yeah, the sort of Real Sociedad connection sort of caught my mind, caught my eye a little bit. So I'm going to go with Real Gone Kid by Deacon Blue from back in the day, which is a great tune. Yeah, it's a great tune, but one of the worst puns I've ever heard. But okay, that's okay. And you're real gone.

But look, it kind of works. But yeah, we hope he's gone because, yeah, we don't want to have done this podcast for nothing. No, no, but medical and all the rest of it, we're feeling fairly confident. I'm having Salt of the Soul keep on moving because that's what he'll do for us. It'll move the ball quicker, which is something that we have definitely needed to do a bit more of. So that's what I'm having. And yeah, that's it for this podcast. I'm off to Ibiza tomorrow. So...

Assuming I survive, I'll be back next week. Thanks to Adrian. Thanks to R and thanks to J, our producer. And we'll see you next week. Ta-ra. Hey, Kristen, how's it tracking? With Carvana Value Tracker. What else? Oh, it's tracking.

In fact, value surge alert trucks up 2.5%, vans down 1.7%. Just as predicted. Mm-hmm. So we gonna... I don't know. Could sell, could hold. The power to always know our car's worth. Accelerating, isn't it? Tracking. Always know your car's worth with Carvana Value Tracker.

Did you know that foreign investors are quietly funding lawsuits in American courts through a practice called third-party litigation funding? Shadowy overseas funders are paying to sue American companies in our courts, and they don't pay a dime in U.S. taxes if there is an award or settlement. They profit tax-free from our legal system, while U.S. companies are tied up in court, and American families pay the price to the tune of $5,000 a year. But

But there is a solution. A new proposal before Congress would close this loophole and ensure these foreign investors pay taxes, just like the actual plaintiffs have to.

It's a common sense move that discourages frivolous and abusive lawsuits and redirects resources back into American jobs, innovation, and growth. Only President Trump and congressional Republicans can deliver this win for America and hold these foreign investors accountable. Contact your lawmakers today and demand they take a stand to end foreign-funded litigation abuse.

Skincare experts and dermatologists have often touted the benefits of indoor humidity as essential for healthy, glowing skin. But did you know dry air can start to harm your skin in as little as 30 minutes? For years, many people have relied on humidifiers for better skin, sleep, and overall wellness. But traditional models? Bulky, mold-prone, and difficult to maintain. That's where Canopy Humidifier comes in.

Recommended by leading dermatologists, Canopy is a completely reimagined humidifier designed to elevate any space, offering the ultimate in skincare and wellness benefits. Canopy's clean moisture combats dryness, dullness, and fine lines while strengthening the skin's barrier and boosting the effectiveness of topical skincare products. With its sleek design, Canopy is the cleanest and easiest humidifier on the market. With its unique technology,

cleaning is as easy as popping it in the dishwasher. Go to getcanopy.co to save $25 on your Canopy humidifier purchase today with Canopy's filter subscription. Even better, use code podcast to check out to save an additional 10% off your Canopy purchase. Your skin will thank you.