Arsenal are in widely-reported talks to sign Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi for the summer, but he isn’t the only midfielder who could be seriously considering a move to N5 this year.
Arsenal in "advanced" negotiations to sign Zubimendi from Real Sociedad
Earlier this week, Daily Mail journalists Sami Mokbel and Ben Willcocks broke the news that Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Zubimendi, with a plethora of credible news outlets soon backing up their information.
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Fabrizio Romano released his own update just moments after The Mail’s exclusive bombshell, revealing that negotiations are indeed at an “advanced” stage and talks are also underway with the Spaniard’s camp in an attempt to secure his signing for the end of this season.
Mikel Arteta will also be a key factor in persuading Zubimendi to swap his boyhood club for a move to the Premier League, but that isn’t to say it’s a done deal yet, as other reliable media sources report that more elite clubs could still come to the table.
Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated on Wednesday, via X, that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on this situation, despite Arsenal “pushing a lot” to sign the 25-year-old and showing “very concrete” interest.
Aston Villa (home)
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There’s even been some talk that Arsenal have offered players to Sociedad in talks for Zubimendi, as they attempt to acquire him for a much-lesser fee than his £51 million release clause. This big story is one to watch, as Arteta has targeted Zubimendi “for years”.
“This is one that we’ve been on for years,” said Arsenal-supporting journalist Steve Kay on KS1TV.
“We know Arsenal love this player. We’ve said many times he’s the number one signing. Liverpool nearly got him last year, but he decided he didn’t want to go.
“He’s special, he’s special, speaking to a few people today what he is mainly is a single pivot in that number six mixed in with a bit of a box-to-box at the same time. He’s excellent at playing through the lines, he breaks up play, he’s fantastic.”
Sverre Nypan really wants to join Arsenal with Martin Zubimendi
According to reliable journalist David Ornstein of The Athletic, another midfielder on their radar is Norwegian wonderkid Sverre Nypan.
The 18-year-old, who’s drawn comparisons with captain Martin Odegaard, is rumoured to command a £20 million price tag and is seriously impressing with Rosenborg.
Ornstein reports that Nypan is very keen on making the move to Arsenal, so interim sporting director Jason Ayto won’t have too much trouble convincing the teenager to swap Scandanivia for England.
“There are young players that will be on their agenda now,” said Ornstein on The Athletic’s podcast (via GiveMeSport). “I know I reported recently like Nypan from Rosenberg, one of the top young midfielders from what I’ve heard across the game, he’d be very keen on a move to Arsenal. They like him.”
Nypan’s branded an “extremely exciting” talent to watch out for by pundits, and it appears this isn’t lost on Emirates Stadium chiefs, who are taking note.
