Martin Zubimendi: Why Arsenal beat Liverpool and Man City to the signature of the sought-after Spanish midfielder

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Martin Zubimendi: Why Arsenal beat Liverpool and Man City to the signature of the sought-after Spanish midfielder

Evans Ousuru 10:00 - 15.01.2025

Mikel Arteta has moved swiftly to address his midfield with both Thomas Partey and Jorginho out of contract at the end of the season.

Arsenal  Boss Mikel Arteta is already planning beyond this season in the January transfer window.

The former Gunners captain has opted to pull the gaps in his midfield after it was reported that the London side will trigger Martin Zubimend's €60million (£51m) release clause after reaching an agreement on January 14 according to the Daily Mail.

Zubimendi, 25, is expected to join the Gunners at the end of the season. The Real Sociedad star has been courted by 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 opportunity to play for his compatriot was hard to turn down for a Busquets-esque deep-lying playmaker. The Emirates club have focused their attention on getting a deal in place for Zubimendi despite the need to upgrade their floundering attack following injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

With both Thomas Partey and Jorginho out of contract at the end of the season, Arsenal  accelerated their interest in Zubimendi.

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.

It was reported that Zubimendi turned down the chance to join The Reds with Liverpool boss Arne Slot forced to convert Ryan Gravenberch into a defensive midfielder after learning that the all-action midfielder was not interested in making the move.

There has also been interest in Zubimendi from Manchester City following the season ending injury suffered by Rodri but the Citizens haven't made an offer. Zubimendi is viewed as one of the leading midfield talents in European football and is a key player for Spain.

The swoop will represent a major coup for Arsenal and Arteta given the player’s burgeoning reputation and interest from top clubs. The club will now focus on strengthening their forward options this month as they look to cope with a worrying injury list.