Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has given the go-ahead for the club to pursue Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi during the current summer transfer window, according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo.
Zubimendi has returned strongly to Real Madrid’s list of targets after the club’s attempts to sign Rodri failed to produce a deal. The 27-year-old midfielder was also heavily linked with a move to the Spanish club last summer, when Xabi Alonso arrived as manager, but ultimately joined Arsenal instead.
The midfielder’s future is now being reconsidered by both clubs. Mundo Deportivo reports that Mourinho has approved an approach for Zubimendi, allowing Real Madrid to begin exploring the possibility of completing a transfer before the window closes.
Arsenal are understood to be open to allowing the player to leave, but only if they receive an offer they consider acceptable. The London club paid €65m to sign Zubimendi last year, meaning any bid from Real Madrid would have to exceed that figure.
Zubimendi’s representatives are assessing the situation and considering whether a departure from Arsenal would be in the player’s interests. The report says he has lost considerable importance within the club’s current squad, prompting his representatives to examine the possibility of a move away from Emirates Stadium.
Mourinho continues to push for Real Madrid to recruit a creative midfielder and has given his backing to a deal for Zubimendi. However, any agreement would depend first on Arsenal’s financial demands and then on Real Madrid’s ability to create space in their squad.
Real Madrid have already made it clear that they will not make any more signings unless at least one current player leaves the club. That condition means the proposed move for Zubimendi is dependent not only on negotiations with Arsenal, but also on an outgoing transfer from the Spanish club.
The two clubs must therefore resolve several issues before a deal can progress. Arsenal would need to receive more than the €65m they invested in Zubimendi, while Real Madrid would have to meet their own squad requirements before committing to another arrival.
The midfielder’s earlier links with Real Madrid intensified following Alonso’s appointment last summer, but it was Arsenal who secured his signature. His return to the Spanish club’s plans now comes after Rodri’s decision not to move to Real Madrid, leaving Mourinho seeking an alternative option for the midfield.
For the moment, Zubimendi remains an Arsenal player, with his future under review as his representatives weigh the interest from Real Madrid and the Premier League club considers whether the right offer has arrived.
