Arsenal midfielder Zubimendi could make a shock move to Real Madrid this summer, according to Talksport.
Zubimendi joined Arsenal last summer for £55 million, but his future at the club has recently been questioned. He had an excellent first season at Arsenal, making 57 appearances in all competitions and winning the Premier League title with the team. Although he played almost every game in the league—starting 34 of 38 league matches—there are still doubts as to whether he will continue to play a key role in the new season.
Arteta further strengthened the Arsenal midfield this summer, which may reduce Zubimendi's playing time. The £75 million signing of Guimaraes, along with Rice, Merino, Odegaard, and Eze, forms a luxurious midfield lineup. In addition, although Lewis-Skelly, who was selected for the midfield in the Champions League final, has been put on the transfer market, Zubimendi's future at the Emirates Stadium remains uncertain.
Among the rumors about Zubimendi's next destination, London rivals Chelsea are one of the clubs linked. But Talksport's chief football reporter Crook predicted that he would make a surprising return to Spain, saying that Arsenal might need to sell players due to an overloaded squad.
Talksport understands that Nwaneri and Martinelli are expected to leave before the transfer window closes, neither of whom were included in Arsenal's squad for the Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
Crook said on Monday's Sports Bar show: "They need to sell some people, look at the absentee list for the Community Shield—no Martinelli, no Jorginho-Jesus... They're in a luxurious position, at least two players for every position, almost too many players. I wouldn't rule out Zubimendi going to Real Madrid."
Real Madrid has not yet made a formal offer for Zubimendi. But after missing out on Manchester City star Rodri, they are likely to be in the market for a new midfielder. The Spanish World Cup-winning captain and Zubimendi's national team teammate Rodri initially appeared set to join Real Madrid, and transfer negotiations had begun. But then the player himself expressed a preference for Barcelona, and Talksport understands that Barcelona has reached an agreement with Rodri for a transfer fee of approximately £65.3 million.
If Real Madrid pursues Zubimendi, they will get a player with similar technical characteristics to Rodri. Zubimendi serves as Rodri's backup in the national team—the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner is Spain's first-choice defensive midfielder for the 2024 European Championship and their recent World Cup triumph. At this summer's World Cup in North America, Zubimendi only made a 21-minute substitute appearance in the final against Argentina.
Despite limited playing time, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente praised the Arsenal star as the "second best" midfielder in the world. Speaking of Rodri, de la Fuente said: "He is the best player in the world in his position, and you know we have Martin Zubimendi behind him, who is also a great player, certainly second best in the world."
Zubimendi had a decent first season at Arsenal, contributing 6 goals and 3 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions. In addition to winning the Premier League, he also made 13 appearances in the Champions League last season, where Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in the final.
AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com