Arsenal must take careful approach to complete Arteta's dream midfielder transfer amid chief's admission - opinion
A look at Arsenal’s reported bid to land a pricey midfield transfer target this summer.
Arsenal will already be preparing for their summer recruitment, needing to improve the depth of their squad to set up what they hope will be a Premier League title push next season. The Gunners fell way short this season, but they do still have a chance of winning the Champions League, needing to come from behind in their semi-final second leg with PSG having lost 1-0 in the first leg this week.
The Gunners are already being linked with a number of players ahead of the summer, and one of them is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, a player Mikel Arteta is said to adore. Here we examine the situation.
La Real chief’s update
Real Sociedad chief Jokin Aperribay has provided an update on Zubimendi’s situation this week. "We'll see what happens,” Aperribay told Radio Marca Donostia. “All I ask of him is one last effort to qualify for Europe and whatever happens, will happen in June. There's no point in speculating now about whether he'll be there.
“He's had several opportunities to leave and he'll make the decision he wants, because he'll have more options. I don't remember our last conversation. When I talk to him, it's more about goals, pushing. There's one month left, and we're playing against opponents who can beat us, but we can also beat them all.
“There are no easy or difficult matches. Martin is part of that. I don't know if it's difficult for him to stay. We haven't tried to raise the clause. Don't think contracts are negotiated like that. It's more a matter of willpower. If he wants to continue the conversation, it will last five minutes. I don't know if it's difficult."
La Real are currently 10th place and two points off the Conference League spot, which is eighth this season. They are four points off the final Europa League spot, which is seventh.
Arsenal must tread carefully with Zubimendi
Arsenal are not dealing with a standard footballer when it comes to Zubimendi, not one that is solely motivated by fame and fortune, and they must treat the situation accordingly. You don’t see these situations too often, but it is interesting that the Nico Williams situation is also very similar, with the Athletic Club also being linked with a move away, and with links to Arsenal.
Focusing on Zubimendi, the midfielder was born and bred in San Sebastian, growing up with Real Sociedad and joining the club as a 12-year-old. Take him at his own word - the midfielder has previously said: “Real Sociedad is a big part of my life. Part of who I am as a person is also thanks to them. I think that the values the club has are within me and well, I want to continue.
“I arrived at the reserve team when I was 18 years old and Imanol was already there, so the transition from the reserve team to the first team made it much easier for me. Today I can say that he is the coach who has marked me the most, he knows me very well.”
Zubimendi will have to be talked into leaving the Basque club this summer, and he will want everything to be agreed amicably if he is going to depart. Arsenal can activate his release clause, which is a touch above £51million, but they would be wise to avoid trying to get ahead of this deal before the season is up.
The Gunners already have an advantage. Arteta is from San Sebastian himself, and he too has worn the blue and white of La Real, and so, given Zubimendi’s commitment to the club, which was so firm that he rejected the chance to join Liverpool last summer, Arteta should know not to take a gung-ho approach to signing the midfielder, regardless of what competition might be out there.
Arsenal have every chance of winning the race, and you could easily make the argument that they are favourites at this stage, but they should head Aperribay’s update and avoid playing the modern game of tapping up players and agents before the transfer window opens. If the Gunners play this situation right and allow the midfielder to focus on the task at hand between now and the end of the season, Zubimendi should fall into their laps this summer, if indeed they do decide to do the deal. Should they put their own needs over what La Real and Zubimendi want before the summer, they risk blowing this proposed deal apart.
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