David Ornstein says Arsenal think they have a 'done deal' ahead of the summer

Arsenal may already be a long way down the line with one summer transfer. The Gunners have an interesting summer ahead of them, needing to add quality and depth while also signing a starting-calibre striker who can provide goals consistently.

The Gunners have a new transfer chief in Andrea Berta, who interestingly specialises in Spain, and that has only seen links with one of Arsenal’s reported transfer targets ramp up.

Reports emerged earlier in the season claiming that Arsenal had agreed a deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, and while that did not prove to be true, it does seem like the midfielder is high on the club’s list.

Zubimendi has a £51.9million release clause, but activating the clause is only half the battle, given the Spain international rejected a move to Liverpool last summer. This summer could be different, though, as Zubimendi himself has hinted. he said: “Until now I have thought that the best thing was to be at my club (Real Sociedad).

“I am looking for my personal growth and I still have a lot to give to Real. There are always rumours but so far I’ve always thought that the best solution for me is staying at Real Sociedad. I’ve still a lot of things to give to this club, I still wanna grow and develop here.”

As the links rumble on, David Ornstein has told GiveMeSport: "They'll be adding to their midfield with the arrival of Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. Arsenal are acting internally as if that is a done deal."

It would be a tad surprising if Arsenal committed so much money to a midfielder given their needs at the top end of the pitch, but with Thomas Partey and Jorginho out of contract, it is an area they will need to address.

Arteta has acknowledged that, saying: “We have certain situations with contracts expiring,’ said Arteta, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s game against Aston Villa. We can renew those contracts like we have done in the past. We are always actively evolving the squad and understanding what the players want to do when they finish our contract together, and we have to be prepared.”

While Jorginho will almost certainly move on, Partey could well sign an extension, with Arteta saying last week: “Yes, there is progress with all the players. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to decide and to talk about.” He added when asked if he and Arsenal have decided what to do with Partey: “The intention is very clear.”

As for Zubimendi, he is still 26 years of age and already very experienced, making 175 league appearances for La Real, also with plenty of experience in the Champions League and Europa League. The midfielder has also won Euro 2024 with Spain, racking up 17 caps to date. The midfielder has hesitated to leave La Real, being from the local area, San Sebastian, but it seems the time to move will be this summer, with the Basque club set to miss out on European football for next season as things stand.

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