Man Utd now 'interested' in £51m midfielder who is 'extremely likely' to join Arsenal
Arsenal reportedly agreed to pay his release clause during the January transfer window.
Arsenal will be looking ahead to the summer transfer window in order to develop a squad that can finally get over the line and win the Premier League title. They are now 13 points behind Liverpool, and with the title race all but over, Arteta will look to the Champions League for their only piece of silverware this season.
Arsenal look set to make a splash in the summer transfer window. After not making any additions in the January transfer window, they will likely try to sign a striker, winger, and central midfielder.
The Gunners have been linked to a defensive midfielder who looks set to replace Jorginho and Thomas Partey, whose contracts expire in the summer.
Man United want Martin Zubimendi
Arsenal have been linked to Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has a £51 million release clause. The Gunners reportedly agreed to pay the fee during the January transfer window, but after no developments since, Zubimendi still remains available.
Amid his impressive performances in La Liga this season, Zubimendi has reportedly attracted the interest of Premier League rivals Manchester United. According to GIVEMESPORT, United are eyeing up a move for the Spanish midfielder as they look to strengthen under Ruben Amorim.
The Spaniard has made 25 La Liga appearances this season, scoring one goal and contributing two assists. He’s helped Sociedad to ninth in the league, as they sit just four points off the European football places.
They signed Manuel Ugarte in the summer window, and are keen to add more legs in midfield to give Amorim a real spine to his 3-4-3 formation. Furthermore, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen look set to leave the club, and so they will need to be replaced in the next transfer window.
However, the report states that Arsenal are still “extremely likely” to sign Zubimendi, despite the fact that there has not been any updates since the January window. If the Gunners don’t act fast when the window comes around, Man United may decide to swoop in and sign the 26-year-old first.
Arsenal linked with Zubimendi alternative
The Gunners want to add a defensive midfielder in the summer window, with many assuming that it would be the Real Sociedad man. However, they have since been linked to Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.
The Germany international’s contract at the Allianz Arena expires in the summer, and if Bayern does not offer him an extension, he could become a free agent.
Kimmich has made 23 Bundesliga appearances this season for Bayern, scoring one goal and five assists. He has also played at both right-back and defensive midfield, much like Partey, who he would replace should he move to the Emirates in the summer.
The midfielder has also previously been linked to Man City and Liverpool, and is set to generate a lot of transfer interest in the summer.
For your next Arsenal read, see the dream Arsenal XI if all the current transfer rumours are true.