Real Madrid are back in the picture for Martín Zubimendi, but Arsenal are not talking cheap. Mundo Deportivo reports the Gunners would want at least €90 million, around £77m, before even considering a sale. Madrid had already been keen on the 27-year-old before he joined Arsenal last summer, and now they are weighing whether the fee is realistic.
Arsenal's position on the price
The valuation does most of the heavy lifting here. Arsenal signed Zubimendi from Real Sociedad last year, so this is not a case of a player drifting out of contract or forcing a move. The club also finished first in the 2025 Premier League season, which is not the profile of a side under pressure to sell a new signing at a discount. Their Champions League record was 8 wins from 8, a reminder that this is a squad functioning at a high level.
Xavi has already described Zubimendi as a “top” player, and that is part of why Madrid are still looking. According to Football.London, the Spanish club are reconsidering their midfield options and Zubimendi is back in the conversation. Bruno Guimarães is also part of Arsenal's reported midfield competition picture, which tells you how stacked the department is.
Madrid's interest and Arsenal's depth
That depth is the real complication for Arsenal, not a cash problem. The club's midfield competition already includes Declan Rice, Bruno Guimarães, Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino and Zubimendi. Ødegaard has 4 assists in 5 appearances in the 2026 World Cup sample, while Merino has 2 goals in 8 appearances and Rice has 7 appearances and 578 minutes, so there is no shortage of players in and around the side.
Zubimendi initially played an important role at Arsenal before a knee problem interrupted his momentum and reduced his involvement later in the campaign. That is the only obvious opening Madrid can point to. Even so, this still reads more like a club testing how firm Arsenal are on a £77m valuation than a deal on the brink. If Madrid want him, the price has to move first.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
