Arsenal told £52m target is ‘the perfect midfielder’ to sign, not Luiz or Onana

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Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has now had his say on which midfielder he believes Arsenal should try to sign. 

The Arsenal midfield contingent is set to undergo a major overhaul over the course of the next few transfer windows. 

Recognising this, journalist Sam Dean has already urged the north London club to make Barcelona maestro Frenkie de Jong their top target. 

The Gunners have already been linked with a host of potential midfield acquisitions. Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz has even been described as Mikel Arteta’s “dream” signing. 

Arsenal have also been heavily linked with a move for Everton ace Amadou Onana, who is thought to be open to making the switch to the Emirates Stadium this month. 

Arsenal’s need for a midfield rebuild is obvious. With Thomas Partey too injury-prone to rely upon, Jorginho’s contract talks with the club having reached a “standstill”, and fans recognising that Mohamed Elneny is not of the standard required, only Declan Rice now represents the Gunners’ long-term future in the middle of the park. 

Arsenal urged to sign Martin Zubimendi

Fabrizio Romano now believes that the Gunners should focus their efforts on trying to bring Martin Zubimendi to the club. The reporter stated in his Daily Briefing that “we’ve had a lot of stories about Arsenal and different midfielders in recent times, with big names like Douglas Luiz, Amadou Onana and Martin Zubimendi linked with the Gunners.”

“It looks difficult for a deal to happen this January, but we’ll see if the situation is different in the summer. So, which of those players would be the best fit for Mikel Arteta’s side? My personal feeling is that Zubimendi would be fantastic, even if Onana and Douglas have the advantage of both already knowing the Premier League.”

“Zubimendi is fantastic player, he can help with his vision, quality and intelligence on the ball – he’s the perfect midfielder. Still, it’s important to say that he’s very happy at Real Sociedad, only focused on his club and he already rejected chances to leave in the recent years as he always wanted to stay there.”

Should Arsenal sign Martin Zubimendi?

Arsenal have indeed been linked Zubimendi, and the club are even thought to be willing to trigger the Real Sociedad star’s £52 million release clause. The 24-year-old has established himself as a consistently impressive operator in La Liga, and may well now be ready to test himself in the Premier League.

However, if Arteta has any reservations about the player it may well come down the fact that he has never experienced English football before. It could be a challenge for the 4-cap Spain international to adapt to the physicality and pace of the game in the English top flight. 

There can be no doubting Zubimendi’s technical excellence, though. He is a fantastic passer of the ball, and able to protect possession in confined spaces. He is also able to consistently position himself well in order to protect the defensive line behind him.

He would be an exciting addition to Arteta’s squad, and could represent a huge piece in the midfield rebuild that is to come at the Emirates Stadium.