Arsenal are said to be closing in on a deal to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad as Mikel Arteta aims to strengthen his midfield.
The Gunners tried to sign the Spain international back in January.
It was The Times who revealed that Arsenal expressed an interest in Zubimendi over the winter, but a move failed to materialise after the north Londoners were referred to his €60m (£52m) release clause.
Now – however – there looks to have been some movement.
What’s the story?
Well – according to AS – Zubimendi is now close to joining Arsenal.
The Spanish news outlet believe the Real Sociedad No.3 has “finally” been ruled out as transfer target for Barcelona, as he prepares to play under Arteta at the Emirates Stadium next season.
Barcelona will now focus their attention on Morocco’s World Cup hero Sofyan Amrabat.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Arsenal’s move for Zubimendi broke down in January as the Gunners simply didn’t follow up their interest with a concrete bid, as the Spaniard made it clear he wanted to see out the season.
It seems as if the 24-year-old may have simply asked Arteta to wait, as a move now looks to be on with the season coming to an end.
After all, the Gunners ended up signing Jorginho in a £12m deal instead, which almost feels like something of a stop-gap to give Arsenal depth in midfield as they wait for their primary targets to be available this summer.
What Zubimendi can bring to Arsenal
If Zubimendi really is close to joining Arsenal, then the Gunners are getting themselves a fantastic midfielder.
The Real Sociedad maestro usually operates at the base of midfield in a defensive role, where his ability to break up the play and distribute the ball around the pitch stands out.
WhoScored shows that Zubimendi averages 1.7 tackles per game in La Liga this season, as well as one interception and 1.5 clearances.
He also averages 49.6 passes per game at a success rate of 84.8% in Spain’s top-flight.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as Arsenal are getting themselves an excellent player if Zubimendi really is on his way to north London.
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