According to reports, Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi could be joining Liverpool; the Merseyside club is eager to sanction his deal if the Spaniard accepts it, but this should not be a major issue for the Gooners.
Yes, Zubimendi was once a transfer target for Arsenal. However, in this summer transfer window, concluding that Arsenal has suffered a transfer blow due to his potential move to Liverpool is somewhat misleading.
In the winter of 2023, Mikel Arteta failed in his attempt to buy Caicedo. Instead, he turned to Zubimendi, but he refused to move to the Emirates Stadium, leading to the purchase of Jorginho. With Jorginho, Thomas Partey, and even Declan Rice remaining at the club, Arsenal aren’t looking to buy a 6. They’ve decided to go for an LCM; fascinatingly, Zubimendi’s Sociedad teammate, Mikel Merino, is to be signed to play the role.
In response to the Liverpool rumours, one may ask: What has emerged about Zubimendi at Arsenal?
European transfer guru Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal are not concerned by Liverpool’s move for Zubimendi; in fact, he reveals that this summer, they made no attempt to sign him.
“It’s important also to clarify that Arsenal were never negotiating for Zubimendi this summer, while I’ve never heard anything concrete about Man United so far,” said Romano in his daily briefing for CaughtOffside.
Zubimendi is an excellent midfielder with a bright future, but he, like Manuel Locateli and Dusan Vlahovic, passed up an opportunity to join Arsenal. We wish him the best of luck if he decides to move to Anfield.
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But there’s a report today that Real Sociedad are not prepared to allow both Zubimendi and Merinio to leave. If correct and if Liverpool push ahead to sign Zubimendi where does that leave Arsenal’s pursuit of Merino?
It appears that Arsenal is now concerned that they could lose out on Merino are apparently scrambling to get a deal done. If they do lose out, they’ve only themselves to blame in my opinion as negotiations could have started some time ago.
I wouldnt worry about that. We activated zubimendis release clause last season and he didnt want to leave sociedad, and also spain. You have one midfielder that wants to go, and one that is very reticent about leaving. Which one do you think will leave?
Let’s hope so. From Arsenal’s point of view, I think that they need to get the Merino deal done and dusted asap just to be sure. It seems to have been dragging on for ages.
Of course, we don’t have all the facts, but to my liking, we are taking too long to sign Mirono. But more often than not, we seem to take so long with signing players that we open ourselves up for unforeseen events to change or effect our negation position.
Yes, it seems that way. Of course, no two transfers are alike and, say, Calafiori’s had special circumstances (with other clubs involved through sell-on clauses etc.) but Merino’s is fast becoming a saga in itself.
If you look at the news reports Chelsea seems to have signed about a team’s worth of players in this window already (well, almost) yet Arsenal is cranking up the machinery for their second. Perhaps they just have more people in the relevant department than us.
I don’t know what Edu is doing is he buying fish? He will be less concerned about issues that is bordering fans. We have space up front likewise cover for saka but both Edu and Arteta is clueless even the defender he recruied tho a good guy but using that money to get a striker or cover for saka could have won fans spirit more. I am not happy with this window
Arteta knows
They did but his club wanted him to put in a transfer request so they didn’t have to pay a loyalty bonus. That’s one of the reasons it’s taking longer. Also we will see if Zubimendi wants to leave his club which he didn’t want to do mid season and didn’t want to leave Spain as he would rather go to RM or Barca
RS still owe Merino wages as well apparently. That, and as you say, the loyalty bonus is what is holding up the transfer.
No striker needed really… Its better to get a saka back up. We are almost a strong team. A centre cum left defender, a lcm, a right winger thats all we wanted… With calafiori and merino we mean business…
I don’t really know what is wrong with Edu in terms of negotiations.,u have been following Merino for a year now, so must it take 3 months to negotiate
I think you believe the rumours too much, just because some random reporter says we’ve been in contact with Merino since May doesn’t mean we actually have. It’s just articles to get clicks, from which these sites earn revenue.
Possibly, but the reports that Arsenal has agreed personal terms with Merino haven’t been denied.
That’s got nothing to do with negotiating with his club, but I think that there have been rather too many media stories – many from respected sports journalists with good contacts – linking Arsenal and Merino to dismiss them as merely speculation.
That said, it still doesn’t mean Arsenal will sign him of course.
“European transfer guru Fabrizio Romano”. You are kidding he just throws dozens and dozens of names that Arsenal are “interested” in and by sheer luck they sign one. Ninety nine percent of the time they aren’t interested in the players he names and Zubimendi is a prime example of this. I doubt Romano has any close contacts at the club.
Why do Arsenal have to drag transfers, both incomings and outgoings, for this long? It is annoying. Edu and Arsenal appear indecisive with transfers and fond of recruiting players in areas well covered. Big Gab needed no competition, Martinelli and Trossard are fine on the left wing, White can cover for Saliba. Both they never see all these. Always looking to create competition at unnecessary areas while leaving the necessary areas uncovered. Without a good cover for Saka, Rice and a standing striker, MA can forget about the league crown already.
Come on, Rice is covered by Jorgi/Partey, good luck finding adequate Saka cover, hes the best in the world in his position. Gabriel DOES need competition, Kiwior does not provide it. Calafiori is also a LB as you know – a bit of positivity pleeease! Nobody is forgetting about the league crown.
You made a frustration clamor looks like fact
It still sucks that we couldn’t persuade him to move to London yet Liverpool convinced him to move there. I believe he may have got a taste for winning from the Euros and that’s what has changed. He’s a terrific signing so well done pool
The same Romano reported that Zubimendi was not interested in moving away from Sociedad.
I thought the plan was for Arsenal to buy a 6 so that rice could move to 8 where he has hardly lost a game for Arsenal while arsenal has always scored many goals with him playing in the 8 role.
Arteta’s plans are sometimes very controversial. Now he is out for an 8 instead!!! Horrible!!! Rice is way better playing as 8. he struggled in the 6 with England.
They keep buying left back left back and a host of left wings as well
Merino has only a year left on his contract so Arsenal will get him cheap. Therefore Sociedad won’t sell Zubimendi. Stay calm people, nothing to worry about.
Comparisons are odious as the saying goes, but here’s a couple of reports hot off the press this afternoon that shows transfers can happen (a) reasonably quickly and (b) simultaneously if needed:
“Chelsea are set to bring an eighth goalkeeper to the club after agreeing a £17m fee with Genk for Mike Penders.”
“Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £54m for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Pedro Neto.
The Portugal winger is now scheduled to have a medical before finalising a move to Stamford Bridge.”
That brings Chelsea’s total to nine transfers in so far in this window. Makes you think…
Agreed. Transfers can take place in the time it takes to sign a contract and agreement (o.k. maybe copying also). But are they good acquisitions? Chelsea is picking up players like they are trying to pick out items to resell for possible profit at their flea market stand. ps so glad Chelsea paid for Neto – they need him like an eighth keep – oh, wait.
Yes, but it was more the ability to get deals over the line – just as a deal, rather than who is being transferred. Arsenal does, generally, seem to take a long time. They obviously want VFM etc. but it still seems to drag on more than perhaps the norm, to me anyway.
I suspect that Chelsea with a 45-man squad (?) with 9 keepers alone now will need to do some pretty fast and fancy footwork when it comes to selling.
Understand, I get anxious with them too sometimes. I can’t believe Wolves got £54 million for Neto with his injury history. I guess where there’s a Chelsea there’s a way. According to Ornstein we will be loaning Nketiah to OM with a €30 million obligatory option to purchase.
Yes, I read the Nketiah report. If true, then the £25.5m or so is a small increase in OM’s previous offer reported at £23m up from an initial £17m. So that’s good news.
While every little helps it’s still quite a way from Arsenal’s “resolute” £30m valuation. There’s resolute and resolute in the face of stark reality (only one club interested), I guess.
What’s not quite as good possibly is that the money won’t get paid until summer 2025. As far as was reported, OM’s original £23m was a straight transfer – not subject to any purchase clause after a loan period. Anyway, as long as it’s done.
Not only is it a slight increase in purchase price, OM will pay a loan fee so it could be that Arsenal got their desired price after all. With these loan deals with an option to buy, it seems like Arsenal is backloading their budget for next summer. Do they have someone in mind?