Arsenal to block Real Madrid January talks over out-of-favour star

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Martin Zubimendi's future has become one of the stranger subplots of Arsenal's season, and the club have reportedly made their position on it clear: he is not leaving in January.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Arsenal will not entertain discussions with Real Madrid over the midfielder in the winter window, despite his limited involvement this term. It is worth noting Fichajes sit some way down the reliability scale compared to the likes of David Ornstein or Fabrizio Romano, so the report should be treated with a degree of caution.

From title winner to bit-part player

The situation is a marked shift from last season, when Zubimendi was a mainstay in the side that won the Premier League title. He was, by Arsenal's own internal assessment, one of the players credited with taking the team to another level.

This campaign has looked nothing like that. The Spaniard has barely featured, and when he has started, it has come at right-back rather than in his natural role at the base of midfield.

He also failed to get minutes at the World Cup, meaning a player who was central to everything Arsenal did 12 months ago has gone a long stretch without regular football in his preferred position.

Real Madrid circling

Real Madrid had been keen to win the race for his signature, and the reduced role at the Emirates would ordinarily present an opening. Arsenal's stance, per the report, closes that door for now — the club have no plans to sell and do not intend to open talks in January.

The complication is that squad harmony and squad ownership are two different things. The report acknowledges there is a good chance Zubimendi could ask to leave if his opportunities do not increase, and that uncertainty is unlikely to disappear while he is being used as a full-back.

Arsenal's broader approach has been to hold on to their squad rather than trim it mid-season, and that principle appears to be driving the decision here. Whether it holds through to the end of the window may depend on how the next few months of team selection unfold.

Backdrop of a difficult weekend

The news arrives on the back of a 3-0 defeat at Brighton, a result that will inevitably sharpen the focus on selection calls across the squad. Questions about why a title-winning midfielder is being deployed out of position, or not at all, are not going away after an afternoon like that at the Amex.

For Real Madrid, the message from north London is straightforward enough. Arsenal do not want to sell, will not discuss a January deal, and expect Zubimendi to remain part of the squad for the rest of the season.

The next few weeks of team sheets will say a great deal more about the 27-year-old's standing than any statement of intent about transfer windows.