Arsenal and Bayern Munich tipped for £51 million transfer battle

While the Gunners squad have been focused on achieving their first Premier League title since the 'Invincibles' era 20 years ago, many of the Arsenal board have had their attention turned towards summer signings for some time. The likes of Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Brentford's Ivan Toney have all been linked with a move to north London while Mikel Arteta remains heavy on the tails of Sporting Lisbon as he seeks to bring Viktor Gyokeres to the Emirates.

With Arsenal in a three-way title race for the Premier League, and having reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League competition, it would be an exceptionally exciting time to head to the Emirates and Fabrizio Romano believes Real Sociedad star Marin Zubimendi could be one the Arsenal board hope to bring into the mix this summer.

Speaking with CaughtOffside on his Daily Briefing, the Italian transfer guru notes that while the the Spanish 25-year-old remains happy in the Basque region of his home country, the defensive midfielder will surely remain on the Gunners' wish-list.

"Martin Zubimendi is still super happy at Real Sociedad", Romano said. "He loves the club, the city, the fans, No issues. Of course, if any club will trigger his release clause it will be up to the player to decide on the next move, but he's surely on the list at Arsenal and Bayern (I never said Bayern were unlikely, just that he was a top target in case Alonso joined and it now will depend on the new coach).

"So let's wait and see the movements in the summer, but Zubimendi is not pushing to leave, however, in case of proposals, he will consider his future."

It had previously been thought Barcelona could be the more ideal location for Zubimendi but they too will have been dealt with the same response Arsenal now have and the Premier League club also remain in a much better financial position if they were to get the deal over the line.

The 25-year-old currently has a release clause of €60 million (£51m) in his contract which had been deemed too expensive for Arsenal's potential transfer rivals Bayern Munich but a recent report from the Sun has indicated that the Gunners could make starting point for negotiations lower.

Zubimendi has been with Real Sociedad for over 13 years having joined the club's academy at the age of 12 and progressing through the ranks before making his first team debut in April 2019. He has made 186 senior appearances for the club and has been capped five times internationally for his country.