Martin Zubimendi Christmas chant: Lyrics, tune and story behind Arsenal’s festive song

Martin Zubimendi was a long-term target for several Premier League clubs before Arsenal finally secured his signature from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2024.

Liverpool and Manchester City had both shown strong interest in him in previous years, but the midfielder remained loyal to the Spanish side, delaying a move to England on more than one occasion.

Since arriving at the Emirates, however, he has quickly justified the wait, with his performances playing a key role in helping Arsenal strengthen their position in the Premier League title race.

Zubimendi’s impact has also made him a firm favourite with Arsenal fans, who have even created a Christmas-themed chant in his honour, the details of which can be found below.

Martin Zubimendi Christmas chant, lyrics and tune 

The Martin Zubimendi chant is sung to the tune of ‘Last Christmas' by Wham. The lyrics are as follows:

Last Christmas, I gave you my heart,

But the very next day, you gave it away,

This year, to save me from tears,

I'll give it to Zubimendi

Martin Zubimendi chant background

The Martin Zubimendi chant is inspired by the Wham classic from 1984. The song has become a staple of the festive period in the United Kingdom, so it's not a huge surprise that fans have turned to it for festive football chants.

The Zubimendi version isn't overly imaginative. It is just the exact same lyrics as the original, but with the words ‘someone special' changed to ‘Zubimendi'.

While the decision to do that was likely based on nothing more than a syllable match, the player is special to Mikel Arteta, and he is seen as the glue that holds Arsenal together, much in the same way that Rodri is to Manchester City.

Arsenal fans singing the Martin Zubimendi chant

FGG says: Will it outlive the Christmas period?

Martin Zubimendi is well deserving of an Arsenal chant, so the fact that Arsenal fans have chosen a Christmas song for him is quite a surprise, due to the short shelf life. It will be interesting to see whether match-going Arsenal supporters will continue singing this into January and beyond.