Chelsea have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi as the Blues are looking to bolster their midfield.
As per Simon Phillips, Chelsea are planning a move for Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi. The midfielder has earned praise for his performances and it could be a matter of time before he secures a big move away from the club.
Zubimendi graduated through the ranks at Real Sociedad and debuted in La Liga back in 2019. Since then he has grown pretty big in stature and has nailed down a permanent spot in the starting lineup.
The 23-year-old was overlooked by Luis Enrique for the World cup squad but with the manager’s departure following Spain’s disappointing World Cup run, he could expect some positive things going forward.
He is lining up to be the perfect heir to Sergio Busquets in the national setup but he needs to beat the likes of Rodri to gain that platform. Chelsea are set to revamp their midfield and they could lose both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho in the summer.
The midfield duo are not expected to sign on the dotted line for fresh terms and there could be multiple midfielders arriving at the club. Both Manchester United and Barcelona have also been credited with an interest in the player.
United don’t seem to have any emergency requirements for a midfielder while the Spanish giants cannot afford that much money required to entice the player from Sociedad.
The Blues have already initiated talks with his entourage but they might have to break the £50 million barrier in an order to convince the side. The Blues are also tracking the progress of Declan Rice but the West Ham United midfielder wouldn’t come cheap and Zubimendi could be an alternative option.
A January move seems unlikely although the club might not wait till summer as they might just lose the leverage. The youngster has a release clause to the tune of £51.4 million but the West Londoners are aware of the fact that a deal could be done at a much lesser price.
