Mendieta is not the only fan of Zubimendi. Indeed, City talisman Rodri himself sang the praises of the Spaniard back in September.
“He’s a great player. He has the discipline and mentality that can lead him to become one of the best, if he isn’t already. I spoke to him the other day and told him it was his time, that I was leaving him the keys to the [Spain] team,” said the 29-year-old.
And this week, Arsenal star Declan Rice talked up how integral Zubimendi has become for the Gunners in a short space of time. The England international described him as an “unbelievable player” who is a pleasure to play alongside.
He told TNT Sports this week: “Yeah, it’s been so easy to play with him. We only signed him in the summer and usually it takes a while to build a connection, but from the first moment we had together in pre-season, I could just tell that I was going to play some good football with him. I just really liked him as a person and as a player.
“As the games have gone on, our understanding of each other has been outstanding. He’s such a nice guy. He is the Spain No. 6 and we know what Spanish No. 6s are like. They are the best at first phase build up, turning on the ball and playing forward, playing into pockets and that is exactly what we’ve got with him. We all trust him with the ball. If there is a player on you, it is just easy to give him the ball and we all feel so confident with him. He has been so good for us – an unbelievable player.”