Liverpool might have a long-standing interest in Martin Zubimendi but it’s Arsenal who are making all the right moves in trying to land the midfielder.
The Anfield outfit had failed to sign the Sociedad last year but they are still desperately trying to bring him on board. However, according to Football Transfers, Arsenal have gone ahead and agreed personal terms with Martin Zubimendi and a move to January move to the Emirates Stadium is very much on the cards.
Last year, Martin Zubimendi had rejected an offer from Liverpool because he wanted to continue with Real Sociedad but now looks like the midfielder has had a chance of heart. Zubimendi’s release clause is around €60 million, something which Arsenal won’t mind triggering, even during the middle of the season.
Do Arsenal need a midfielder like Martin Zubimendi?
Mikel Arteta currently has four central midfielders at his disposal which includes Mikel Merino who was signed last summer. And while Martin Zubimendi will undoubtedly be a top addition, he is not the type of player that the Arsenal manager wants to see right now.
With Buyako Saka and Gabriel Jesus out injured and Havertz and Raheem Sterling in really poor form, Arteta desperately needs a right-winger before the transfer window shuts. The injury to Saka has dented Arsenal’s confidence to a large extent and Sterling just does not have the confidence to fill that gap out on the right wing. They might have beaten Spurs in the North London Derby but in the past week, the Gunners have been knocked out of the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.
Having said all this, possibly going after a midfielder like Martin Zubimendi is a long-term strategy because Arsenal are planning to offload Thomas Partey and Jorginho at the end of this season. With two out of four midfielders leaving, the Gunners will have to sign replacements and maybe Zubimendi is one such player.
We are sure that Arsenal’s management is looking for attacking reinforcements as well because they are being constantly linked with players like Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko. However, amidst all this, if the Gunners can beat a team like Liverpool to the signing of such a top-rated central midfielder, the fans won’t mind it one bit.
Liverpool might be sitting at the top of the league table but on the backend, they are dealing with several issues. Van Dijk, Mo Salah, and Trent could all leave for free in the summer and in such a scenario, the management just cannot afford to let slip someone as talented as Martin Zubimendi.