Xavi Hernandez is reportedly pushing Barcelona to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, a target for Arsenal.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Martin Zubimendi is the subject of interest from Arsenal. In addition, Xavi Hernandez is keen on bringing the Spanish midfielder to Barcelona next year. Meanwhile, he has a release clause in his contract with Real Sociedad worth around €60 million.
Martin Zubimendi has established himself as one of the best midfielders in La Liga since breaking into the first-team squad at Real Sociedad. The Spaniard was not a teenager when he became a regular for La Real. But he has belatedly risen in stature at the Reale Arena, becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old has also broken into the Spanish national team, turning out four times thus far. Zubimendi has made 161 appearances thus far for Real Sociedad, chipping in with six goals and seven assists. The player’s progress has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of many high-profile clubs, including Barcelona and Arsenal.
Barcelona’s interest in the Spanish international is long-standing, and they considered signing him this past summer. But a move did not materialise, with the Blaugrana moving on and deciding to secure Oriol Romeu’s services instead. But Zubimendi remains on Barcelona’s radar ahead of the 2024 summer transfer window.
While Barcelona pursued and signed Romeu instead of the Spaniard in the summer transfer window, the veteran midfielder is only a short-term solution. So, it behoves the Catalan giants to invest in a younger holding midfielder. But Barcelona will face stiff competition from Arsenal for Zubimendi’s signature.
Arsenal will likely lose Thomas Partey in one of the two transfer windows next year. Mikel Arteta wants his charges to be dependable with their fitness. But with Partey suffering many injuries since joining Arsenal, the Gunners need to replace him. Zubimendi has thus emerged as a viable target, with the North London club financially adept enough to afford to pay €60 million to land him.
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But the opportunity to represent Barcelona can be tempting. And with Xavi pushing the reigning La Liga champions to secure Zubimendi’s services, the battle for his signature will be intense. However, it is unclear if Barcelona can afford to shell out €60 million to land the 24-year-old Spanish international.
