Spanish press warn Arsenal not to make the same mistake as Liverpool in move for Martin Zubimendi
Yesterday at 12:45 PM
Only six months after Liverpool failed to conclude a deal for Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal are now said to have agreed a deal to sign the Real Sociedad midfielder.
Zubimendi won't join Arsenal immediately, the Spain international is planned to move to north London in the summer once the likes of Jorginho and Thomas Partey have potentially left.
Both are currently out of contract in the summer, and it remains to be seen if Arsenal will offer either a new deal.
That being said, Liverpool thought they had signed Zubimendi just a few months ago, the Real Sociedad star was meant to be Arne Slot's flagship signing at Anfield.
However, the deal fell apart in the eleventh hour, when Zubimendi decided to stay at his boyhood club.
Arsenal sent warning about Martin Zubimendi deal
Of course, there's currently no suggestion of an agreement being signed between Arsenal and Zubimendi, nor from club to club.
Arsenal plan to activate the midfielder's release clause and have seemingly had positive communication that Zubimendi would now accept a Premier League switch.
READ MORE: What Arsenal sources are saying after claims they have launched bid for Dusan Vlahovic
However, local outlet to Real Sociedad, Noticias de Gipuzkoa, have now sent a warning to Arsenal, one that Liverpool supporters could definitely get behind.
When reporting news from England regarding Arsenal's progress, the publication highlighted what Liverpool 'took for granted' last summer.
They wrote that Arsenal are now making the same assumption as their rivals, that Zubimendi would be willing to approve the offer on the table, once his release clause was met.
They highlighted that it was 'worth remembering' that Manchester City and Bayern Munich have also failed to convince the Spanish midfielder to leave in the past, a hurdle that could still cause an issue for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta they key factor in Martin Zubimendi choosing Arsenal
All that considered, it would seem as if Mikel Arteta is the difference-maker in this scenario.
Like Zubimendi, Arteta was also born in San Sebastian and the duo even started their career at the same youth team, Antiguoko.
Arteta has been crucial in Zubimendi talks, a relatable character for the Real Sociedad midfielder who can trust the Arsenal manager to carefully manage the next step of his career.
With respect to Zubimendi's boyhood club, the 25-year-old is good enough to play at a much higher level, as was demonstrated by his second half performance for Spain in the Euros final against England.
A superb talent, and it's also worth noting that Ian Wright has already praised Zubimendi, a player he considered as one of the missing pieces at the Emirates Stadium.
