Real Madrid urged to give Arsenal a €70m problem

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Tom Weber | Writer

Real Madrid have been urged to enquire about Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi amid his struggles for game time.

The Spain international has failed to win back his place in Mikel Arteta's starting eleven ever since his performance levels dipped in the second half of last season. Having been virtually ever-present in the months before, Zubimendi looked increasingly jaded and made some mistakes.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was given an opportunity to play in midfield, where he had originally plied his trade before being converted into a left-back, and he seized his chance. The summer signing of Bruno Guimaraes has only made the competition for places more intense.

Zubimendi has been the odd one out so far, starting just once - a Carabao Cup win over Ipswich. Against Leeds at the weekend, he didn't even get on the pitch, with Arteta instead choosing Guimaraes, who would score the eventual winner.

Perhaps it is the lack of decisiveness going forward that has caused Zubimendi to fall out of favour. Unlike Arsenal's other midfielders, the Basque is a controller rather than an attacker. He doesn't have the offensive drive of a Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly or Declan Rice.

Zubimendi to Real Madrid?

Zubimendi's situation for Spain isn't much different, with the 27-year-old behind Rodri in the pecking order. Speaking while on international duty earlier this month, the midfielder admitted that constantly sitting on the bench is "not ideal."

Because of his lack of action, Zubimendi's future has increasingly come under the microscope. There have been tentative links with Chelsea due to Xabi Alonso's well-documented admiration of his former Real Sociedad protégé.

The Chelsea manager was also keen to sign him for Real Madrid last year, but Zubimendi already had an agreement to join Arsenal. Alonso has since been replaced by Jose Mourinho, but the links with Los Blancos remain.

They have been frequently associated with a move for Zubimendi in recent weeks following their failure to sign Rodri or any other midfield orchestrator this summer. They could use a player like the Arsenal ace.

And according to pundit Dani Garrido, the Spanish giants should absolutely sound out the situation to see if a deal could be done next year, potentially as early as January.

"Real Madrid should ask for a price for Zubimendi because he doesn't play at all at Arsenal," Garrido said on Cadena SER. "He's a perfect option for Mourinho."

It is doubtful that Arsenal would be willing to sanction a mid-season move, considering that they are expected to compete on multiple fronts, but can they keep Zubimendi happy for the entire season?

He is not the type to kick up a fuss, but if Real Madrid came calling, he would surely be interested in pursuing the opportunity. And if the LaLiga outfit were to offer Arsenal a profit on their €70m investment, it could be quite a difficult offer to turn down.

There are a lot of ifs, but a Real Madrid approach would give Arteta a huge decision to make.