By OkayGoal
Martin Zubimendi is ready to leave Arsenal in the January transfer window, and seven of Europe’s biggest clubs have been told he could be available.
According to TEAMtalk, the Spain midfielder wants to get his career moving again after a season in which he has barely featured. He wants more playing time, and plenty of major clubs across the continent now know it.
It’s quite a turnaround for a player Arsenal fought off several clubs to sign, Real Madrid among them, in the summer of 2025.
How little has Zubimendi played this season?
Martin Zubimendi cost Arsenal £59.5m (€70m) when he arrived from Real Sociedad, and his first season in north London was an encouraging one. This campaign has been a different story for the 27-year-old.
He has made 10 appearances but started only twice, and both of those starts came in the EFL Cup. In the Champions League he has played just 15 minutes, and in the Premier League only 99.
Put simply, he has become a rotation player in Mikel Arteta’s mind, and that is hard for a Spain international to accept. Arteta hasn’t had much reason to change things either, with the 1-0 win at Anfield on Sunday the latest result in his favour.
The warning signs were there in September. TEAMtalk reported then that Zubimendi had lost his place to Myles Lewis-Skelly towards the end of last season, that the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes had added more competition, and that he had already spoken to Arteta about his situation. The plan then was to review things before January. Two league starts later, the answer looks clear.
Who wants Zubimendi in January?
A return to La Liga is the obvious route. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have all shown interest in the San Sebastian native, and Madrid have admired him for a long time.
There is a catch, though. Real Madrid had decided not to sign anyone this winter, so it remains to be seen whether Zubimendi becoming available is enough to change their plans.
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also been told he could be signed this winter, and so have Chelsea and Liverpool in England. Chelsea’s interest is nothing new: they were linked with Zubimendi back in August.
Would Arsenal let him go?
Arsenal are aware that their player wants out this winter and are preparing to open the door. A loan is one possible option.
That would suit the Gunners in one clear way. They paid £59.5m a little over a year ago, and a strong second half of the season somewhere else would give them a better chance of getting a higher fee for him next summer.
Is a loan the right Zubimendi exit for Arsenal?
I think it is the sensible middle ground. Selling a player for less than you paid after one difficult half-season makes little sense, and keeping an unhappy midfielder on the bench does nobody any good either.
The danger is in where he goes. Loaning him to Chelsea or Liverpool would mean helping a direct rival, so a move to Spain or Germany feels far more likely to get Arsenal’s blessing. If Zubimendi plays every week and gets back to his best, everyone wins. If he doesn’t, his value only falls further.