Chelsea are reportedly showing strong interest in signing Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, as per TEAMtalk.
Following Andrey Santos’ move to Manchester United, the Blues have signed Jordan Henderson. So, Xabi Alonso currently has the Englishman plus Moisés Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo as midfield options.
However, Lavia and Essugo have struggled with fitness problems in recent months, while Fernandez has been heavily linked with a move away this summer.
Now, TEAMtalk claim that Manchester City want the Argentinian as a potential replacement for Rodrigo Hernandez and Chelsea are showing strong interest in signing Zubimendi to replace Fernandez.
Having previously worked together at Real Sociedad, Alonso knows the midfielder and admires him very much. Chelsea see Zubimendi as a perfect fit for Alonso’s system, with the player having a strong relationship with the Liverpool legend.
After purchasing Bruno Guimaraes this summer, Arsenal are prepared to cash-in on Zubimendi for a fee of at least £77m, with his existing deal set to run until 2030.
The Spaniard is even keen on playing regularly; therefore, he might be open to leaving the Emirates Stadium. However, the report state that Chelsea will have to overcome stiff competition to finalise the operation, as Real Madrid are also interested in him.
Zubimendi to Chelsea
Zubimendi is a technically gifted deep-lying playmaker. He is extremely comfortable with possession, can play threading passes between the lines and is efficient in defensive contributions.
After joining Arsenal from La Real last summer, the 27-year-old enjoyed a promising start. However, he faded away during the climax stage of last campaign.
Still, he managed to secure his place in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad. He remained on the periphery during this competition before playing only a brief period in the final.
Zubimendi is a talented player and is currently at the prime stage of his career. Therefore, he would be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea should they purchase him.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the West London club eventually make a concrete approach to secure his services in this transfer window.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to commence their Premier League campaign against Fulham at Craven Cottage on 24th August.
Other News
