Martín Zubimendi

Real Madrid have made contact for Zubimendi, and the player is not saying no

Bruno Guimarães's arrival immediately raised questions about Martín Zubimendi's game time, and the English press turned that into an exit story. Arsenal are said to have set a floor of around £78m, well above the roughly £60m paid to Real Sociedad last year. Real Madrid, who chased him before he signed in London, and Chelsea, where Xabi Alonso rates him, are the names mentioned. Handle with care: no top-tier source mentions a bid, and Diario AS report the opposite — that Real have walked away from the midfield market this summer after Rodri turned them down.

Latest development

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. **UPDATE 14/08 — Arsenal 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. **UPDATE 17 Aug — first 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.