Arsenal now ‘willing to pay’ release clause of Arteta transfer target this month

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Arsenal may want to strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window, and have been linked with Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

The 24-year-old has been outstanding for La Real, helping them qualify for the Champions League this season and navigating a tough group with ease as they reached the knockout stages.

Arsenal have long been linked with Zubimendi going back over a year, but the Spaniard reportedly rejected Mikel Arteta’s interest to stay put at Anoeta.

Arteta is interested again as he looks to add more quality to his midfield, with Kai Havertz failing to offer enough ball progression and Thomas Partey suffering from constant injuries, but with Arsenal at their financial fair play limit, big-money deals in January look unlikely.

Arsenal eye up Martin Zubimendi release clause

A report from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, has now astonishingly claimed that Arsenal are “willing to pay” Zubimendi’s release clause this month, which stands at around £52m.

Several teams are reportedly willing to activate the clause, but Arsenal are the “most talked about,” and it is said that Real Sociedad now face a long month as they lay in nervous wait over whether one of their key players will suddenly depart.

The report emphasises that everything depends on the player. Interested parties will have to convince him to move, before then activating the release clause, rather than attempting to negotiate a lower fee.

Arsenal move for Zubimendi looks impossible

Arsenal’s struggles with FFP have meant that they will not be able to afford a huge deal in January unless there are major sales, and having to pay £52m upfront will be an impossible task this month.

Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that Zubimendi himself would want to depart. Real Sociedad are set to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League knockout stages, and as a local player, he will want to embark on what could be one of the greatest European ties in the history of the club.

He has rejected both Arsenal and Barcelona in recent years even whilst La Real were not competing in Europe, and there is very little chance that his stance will have changed since then.

A move in the summer cannot be ruled out just yet, but given that Arsenal are also targeting a defender and potentially a striker, they will not currently be able to afford a deal for Zubimendi even in the unlikely event that he does want the move now.