Premier League side Arsenal will sign long-term target Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad at the end of the season, according to reports.
Zubimendi has been heavily linked with Premier League clubs over the past year with Arsenal initially mooted as his most likely next destination until Liverpool moved to sign him in the summer.
Liverpool’s summer priority was to sign a new No.6 and Zubimendi was chosen as their preferred target. The Premier League giants were expected to secure his services, but this proposed transfer fell through as the Spaniard decided to stick with his boyhood club Real Sociedad.
Zubimendi was subsequently expected to commit his future to Real Sociedad by signing a contract extension, but he is yet to do so and has still been linked with an exit.
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City have also been linked but now the Daily Mail claim that Arsenal have a ‘deal virtually completed’ to sign Zubimendi in the summer.
The newspaper claims that Arsenal ‘will land long-term target Martin Zubimendi at the end of the season’ after the Real Sociedad midfielder had been ‘courted by Mikel Arteta for over 12 months and talks over a summer move are now at an advanced stage with sources indicating the deal is virtually completed.’
The report adds:
‘Arsenal would like the midfielder to join immediately but Sociedad have insisted Zubimendi stays until the end of the season.
‘Zubimendi chose to stay in Spain last summer despite varying degrees of interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, though it is understood the Gunners didn’t make a formal offer for the player during the previous window.
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‘There has also been interest in Zubimendi from Manchester City following the season ending injury suffered by Rodri.
‘But Arsenal’s need for a new central midfielder ahead of next season has been heightened with Jorginho and Thomas Partey both out of contract at the end of the season and the club have accelerated their interest in Zubimendi.’
It’s understood that Zubimendi has a €60million (£51m) release clause in his contract at the Reale Arena and Arsenal ‘will formally trigger’ that in the summer.
The deal comes after Arteta revealed on Tuesday that Arsenal were “actively” looking at options to improve his squad in January after injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.
When asked if Jesus’ injury increases the need for signings this month, Arteta told a press conference: “My answer doesn’t change. We are actively looking into the market to improve the squad. We always have been. It would be naive not too. We are looking and we are trying, so let’s see what we can do.
“To recruit a player there are three parties who have to agree to that. The fact I love my players doesn’t mean we can’t think about improving. We do daily and when the market comes around we have to make sure we have the best resources and capacity to compete the way that we want to.”
