Arsenal have been boosted with a “done deal” ahead of the transfer window even starting.
The Gunners are preparing for a huge summer of transfer business in which they're looking to add new faces across the pitch – and by installing new sporting director Andrea Berta at the club last month, have already begun with moves ahead of the summer.
With manager Mikel Arteta losing key figures and needing game-changing quality, this might be the pivotal summer that gets Arsenal over the line after what looks like three successive second-placed finishes.
Arsenal have completed their first summer move
Despite Arsenal's primary concern being the lack of a natural goalscorer at the top of the pitch, the club could well strengthen across their squad this summer.
A new no.2 goalkeeper is needed behind David Raya, defensive reinforcements may be necessary to cover for Takehiro Tomiyasu and the imminent exits of Jorginho and Thomas Partey have opened the opportunity to bring in a new midfielder or two this weekend.
That's precisely where Arsenal have begun business, with Spanish journalist Juan Castro writing for in his column for Wednesday’s edition of Marca that Martin Zubimendi's move to N5 is a “done deal”.
Sport Witness have relayed the quotes, claiming that the biggest chance of the deal now collapsing rests with Arsenal's Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) ownership, who could feasibly refuse to sanction triggering the €60 million release clause needed to sign the Basque deep-lying playmaker.
FourFourTwo understands, however, that KSE support the signing of Zubimendi and that the biggest threatto Arsenal completing the deal is actually Real Madrid – though it is still a small threat, nonetheless.
Marca references the idea of Los Blancos making a late swoop for the 26-year-old, claiming it may be “too late” to sway him away from the Premier League: a change of coach at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, however, may throw a spanner in the works.
Xabi Alonso has been extensively linked with the Madrid hot seat, with Carlo Ancelotti's future on a precipice following the European champions' last-eight exit in the Champions League at the hands of Arsenal – and should the former World Cup winner collect the baton from Ancelotti, he could well look to sign Zubimendi.
In the past, Zubimendi has been open about his admiration of Alonso, with the Real Sociedad star telling the Guardian in 2022 that his fellow no.6 is an “idol”.
“He’s an idol, a role model, so I’m delighted that he says nice things about me,” Zubimendi – ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo's list of the best defensive midfielders in the world right now – claimed of his former La Sanse coach. “I get asked about him so much he must get bored of hearing me talk about him: he’ll be tired of me going on about how good he is.”
Zubimendi is worth €60m, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal host Crystal Palace when Premier League action returns tonight.
