Martin Zubimendi, a player who is reportedly close to joining Arsenal, has received praise from Xavi recently.
Beginning in May, a report from the Spanish news outlet AS claimed that Arsenal was on the verge of signing the Spain international before Barcelona.
That hasn’t stopped Xavi from making what appears to be one final attempt to contact Martin Zubimendi in the media, though.
What’s the premise?
The Real Sociedad No. 3 has a €60 million (£52 million) release clause in his contract, and the 43-year-old has heaped praise on him.
According to Xavi, who was quoted by Fabrizio Romano, Zubimendi is a top player and an exceptional pivot. He has a deep understanding of the game and is unbeatable both with and without the ball.
At Barça, “Zubimendi plays the kind of football we like; it’s our style.”
The 24-year-old would also fit in well with Arsenal’s style of play, which is similar to Barcelona’s under Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal’s fallback option could be Zubimendi.
While the AS report indicates that Zubimendi is on the verge of joining Arsenal, reliable sources in England have issued conflicting reports.
The boardroom at the Emirates Stadium is reportedly willing to spend up to £200 million on both Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, who are Arteta’s top targets in the midfield.
Rob Holding, Granit Xhaka, Folarin Balogun, Emile Smith Rowe, and Kieran Tierney are all expected to be sold in order to help pay for that sizeable expenditure. Kieran Tierney is also scheduled to depart for Newcastle.
Obviously, depending on what transpires over the summer, Arsenal may end up signing Zubimendi in addition to Rice and Caicedo, with Mohamed Elneny possibly being upgraded in the midfield.
Keep an eye out for more developments as the Gunners appear to be in for an exciting summer.
