According to a report in The Times, Spanish side Real Sociedad have informed Arsenal that they will have to pay Martín Zubimendi’s €60 million (£52.9m) release clause if they wish to sign the midfielder this month.
This news comes as Arsenal continue to search for midfield depth beyond Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka, as they currently sit at the top of the league and look to win their first title in 19 years.
Mohamed Elneny’s injury has led to further questions around the Arsenal midfield, and Zubimendi is one possible solution.
It’s worth noting that Zubimendi’s release clause is significantly higher than the £45m that Arsenal paid for Thomas Partey, their current record signing in the midfield position.
However, with the club’s current success and their desire to strengthen their chances of winning the league, it’s possible that they may be willing to take a gamble on an expensive signing like Zubimendi.
The 23-year-old Spanish midfielder would also fit with Arsenal’s transfer philosophy of signing young, emerging talents.
He has made 17 league appearances for Real Sociedad this season, and has also been capped for Spain’s national team on one occasion.
Interestingly, Zubimendi also has an Olympic silver medal to his name after representing Spain’s football team at Tokyo 2020.
In addition to Zubimendi, Arsenal have also been linked with Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, as they continue to look for midfield reinforcements.
Rice is seen as more of a deal for the summer, but with Arsenal pushing for the league title right now, reinforcments are needed pronto.
It remains to be seen if Arsenal will decide to meet the release clause for Zubimendi, but it’s clear that they are looking to bolster their midfield options in order to maintain their push for the league title.
Keep an eye on this one as Edu and Mikel Arteta weigh up what to do in the final days of the transfer window.
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