Real Madrid’s stance on Martin Zubimendi revealed as Arsenal suffer transfer blow in latest twist

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Real Madrid have spoken to Arsenal transfer target Martin Zubimendi’s representatives, Arsenal Insider understands.

Zubimendi is enjoying another impressive season at Real Sociedad, featuring in 27 of the Basque side’s 28 La Liga matches so far this campaign.

This form has sparked interest from the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona, with Real Madrid now emerging as a serious potential suitor.

It had been reported that ‘only a remarkable turn of events’ would prevent Zubimendi from signing for Arsenal, but the prospective deal could now be in jeopardy.

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Real Madrid’s stance on Arsenal transfer target Martin Zubimendi

Thomas Partey is expected to leave Arsenal at the end of the season when his contract expires, with Jorginho likely to follow the Ghanaian out the door.

This leaves Mikel Arteta’s squad light on midfielders, and at least one senior option will need to be added to the Spaniard’s ensemble.

Reports that emerged in January suggested that Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal was merely subject to formalities, but new information has circulated indicated that the deal may not be as advanced as once thought.

TBR Football’s transfer expert Graeme Bailey told Arsenal Insider that Real Madrid’s interest is concrete, and that the Spanish giants have ‘touched base’ on a potential deal for the midfielder.

“Only the man himself knows where he’s more likely to end up,” Bailey said.

“Obviously, Real are in the picture now. There’s a lot going on at Real with the head coach, but we know he’s a player Real have always liked.

“Real, although it’s a glittering squad, there is a place for him given Toni Kroos left and wasn’t really replace and Modric is retiring. Yes they’ve got [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Aurelien] Tchouameni, [Jude] Bellingham and [Federico] Valverde, but they don’t really have that playmaker.

“I think there is room for Zubimendi there, as there is at Arsenal. So yeah, Real Madrid have touched base, it’s not a sudden thing, we knew they were interested. There’s been some talk to the agents.

“Obviously, did that play a part in Arsenal wanting to get this done early? Possibly. It hasn’t happened for one reason or another. So let’s see how it plays out.

“It’s definitely not over for Arsenal or anything like that. It’s just Zubimendi and his people talking. It’s [Real’s interest] a complication for Arsenal but I guess they knew they weren’t going to have a straightforward deal from the offset.”

It’s clear that this is still very much a deal Arsenal can pull off, although there’ll certainly be concerns within the Emirates that the Spain international may be tempted by the bright lights of the Bernabeu.

There was always likely to be interest from elsewhere, given the calibre of the player, but the competition coming from the biggest club in the world is somewhat alarming for the Gunners and their prospects of landing their first choice target.

Is Martin Zubimendi the right signing for Arsenal?

Zubimendi has been courted by Arsenal for some time now, so the excitement has understandably grown about what he can bring to the Gunners.

However, there may well be better alternatives on the market that the Gunners should be exploring.

Adam Wharton is an option, while Bruno Guimaraes has been linked with Arsenal for a while.

Both players are proven in the Premier League, while both boast more impressive passing numbers than their Spanish counterpart.

The perception of Zubimendi is that he’s an excellent distributor of the ball from deep, capable of dictating a game with a superb passing range.

However, he completes just 6.14 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Wharton’s 9.36 and Guimaraes’ 7.32.

If progressing the ball is what Arteta is looking for from his number six, then the Arsenal boss should consider moving away from Zubimendi.