Arsenal still remain in the race to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. Mikel Arteta is known to be a huge admirer of the 25-year-old, who snubbed a move to Liverpool last summer.
With both Thomas Partey and Jorginho set to leave once their deals expire in the summer, Arsenal appear to already be working behind the scenes to sign Zubimendi. A report by the Mail last month, reported the Spaniard will join the Gunners in the summer.
That claim has now been backed by Spanish newspaper AS. It’s said the north Londoners are in ‘pole position’ to sign him and are willing to pay his €60million (£50m) release clause.
With that said, Sociedad are bracing for an approach from Arsenal once the season ends. Although the club are said to have wanted to bring Zubimendi to London in the January transfer window, Sociedad agreed with the midfielder to postpone his sale until after this season.
Real Madrid are also mentioned in the report as being ‘aware’ of the situation and are described as being at a ‘disadvantage.’ The Spanish giants haven’t given up on Zubimendi yet but it is Arsenal who are ‘currently in the lead.’
The midfielder admitted Liverpool’s interest ‘surprised’ him. “I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise. It wasn’t something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose,” he told El Diario Vasco.
“It was an uncomfortable time for me but I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay. I don’t believe in ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunities. If you’re good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There’s no need to rush.
“I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision. There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me – and that was staying.”
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