Martín Zubimendi

Arteta shuts the Zubimendi file himself: “No, he's a really important player”

The file was born of an inference: Bruno Guimarães arriving for £75m crowded a midfield that already had Rice, Ødegaard and Merino, and Real Madrid were hunting a holding midfielder after missing out on Rodri. The English press turned that into a £77m asking price and an Arsenal green light. Mikel Arteta knocked the whole thing down in one sentence on 21 August, in a press conference: asked whether Zubimendi could be sold, he replied “No, he's a really important player for us.” On the Madrid side, the trail is now described as abandoned. The line moves to COOLED.

Latest development

1. 22/08 (evening)the manager settles it, and the file closes.

   In his pre-match press conference on 21 August, Mikel Arteta was asked point-blank whether Martín Zubimendi could be sold. His answer: “No, he's a really important player for us.” He went on: “Zubi without a doubt was one of the best players for Arsenal last season. Without him, we would never have got into the position that we got into in the last few weeks.” He also explained that the Spaniard's reduced minutes late in the campaign were load management — 55 games in his legs — and that he had spoken to the player about it several times.

   This is the same press conference that produced the “100 per cent” on Myles Lewis-Skelly, and the source carries the same weight: the manager, first-hand, not a relay. In parallel, reports state that Real Madrid never actually made a move for the Spaniard.

   What is established: Arsenal are not selling, and have said so publicly. What is not: nothing, because there is no file left. No bid was ever tabled across six weeks of rumours. The line moves to COOLED and will only reopen if a first-tier source writes otherwise.

   Sports Mole, Yahoo Sports, CaughtOffside and Football365 reported on 10 and 11 August that Arsenal have set an asking price of around £78m for Zubimendi, against declared interest from Real Madrid and Chelsea. What is established: nothing beyond a reported valuation and reported interest. What is not: the existence of a bid, the player's stance, and Arsenal's position, since the club have never said publicly that they want to sell. The sources are second tier, with no Ornstein or Romano on this one, and Real are said in the same pieces to be split internally. Hence ONE TO WATCH — for now this is a media consequence of the Guimarães signing, no more.

2. 14/08Arsenal would sell, at their price.

   Football365, CaughtOffside and TeamTalk reported on 13 August that Arsenal are now open to letting Zubimendi go and have set the bar at €90m (£77m), with Chelsea presented as the keenest club and Xabi Alonso said to have asked for him personally. The logic holds: Bruno Guimarães' £75m arrival thickens a midfield already holding Rice, Ødegaard and Merino, and the Spaniard's end of season was less convincing. What is established: nothing beyond a reported price and stated interest. What is not: no Chelsea offer, no public Arsenal position, no read on the player — a World Cup winner this summer and a regular in the title-winning side. Still no top-tier source on this one, hence the cautious status.

3. 17 Augfirst contact reported.

   TeamTalk wrote on 17 August that Real Madrid have opened preliminary talks over Zubimendi with José Mourinho's approval, and that the player's camp have indicated he would welcome a move to the Bernabéu. The trigger is said to be Madrid missing out on Rodri. Arsenal's reported position is unchanged from three days ago: they are not pushing the midfielder out but would listen to an acceptable proposal, with the asking price still around €90m (£77m) — €25m more than the €65m invested a year ago. Chelsea remain in the picture. What is missing, as before: nothing from Ornstein, Romano, the BBC or Sky on this file. A contact reported by a single outlet is not a negotiation, so the entry stays at INTEREST; the score edges up to 58 because the information is getting more specific, not because it is confirmed.