Bayern Munich are allegedly “afraid” that Martin Zubimendi, their main target, would end up signing with Arsenal, according to German football analyst Christian Falk.
According to reports, the Gunners have been trying to acquire a new midfield player to maybe take Thomas Partey’s position, who has struggled to remain healthy in recent years.
Amadou Onana and Douglas Luiz have been cited as the main candidates for a transfer to the Emirates Stadium, while several other names have also been connected to the move recently. However, Zubimendi is apparently also being considered by them.
But according to Falk, who spoke with Caught Offside, Bayern Munich has also been looking to add a new midfield player, and they have Zubimendi marked as their “No. 1 target.”
The writer, however, claims that Mikel Arteta has been in negotiations with the player to convince him to go to the Emirates Stadium and that Arsenal is also interested in recruiting the Spaniard.
Zubimendi to Arsenal
Falk adds that because Zubimendi and Arteta are both Spanish, Arsenal has a “huge advantage” over Bayern Munich in their pursuit of signing him. Therefore, the Bavarian Club is now “afraid” of losing out on acquiring their top goal.
The writer adds that Arsenal would need to pay a high price to get Real Sociedad star Zubimendi because of a £51 million release clause in his current deal.
Falk stated:
After Joao Palhinha, Martin Zubimendi is Bayern’s top target. His release clause is around €60 million, which makes him a very intriguing player. Bayern Munich is making a strong push for him, and it’s noteworthy since Xabi Alonso is represented by the same group. Executives at Bayern are keeping a close eye on him in case the Bavarian team decides to hire him as a coach.
Additionally, Bayern has learned that Mikel Arteta has previously spoken with the athlete. Additionally, they are both Spanish, which is quite advantageous for Arsenal! Bayern was certain they would win the competition for Zubimendi, but now that Arsenal is present, they are terrified of the Gunners and worried Mikel Arteta may steal the player, which was supposed to happen in the summer.
Zubimendi is a very gifted footballer who has recently shown flashes of his abilities in La Liga. So, should Arsenal decide to acquire the midfielder, it would be a huge coup.
Nevertheless, it would be intriguing to see whether the North London team can ultimately defeat Bayern Munich in this race in order to acquire Zubimendi.
