Zubimendi 'ready to leave' Arsenal in January as Liverpool circle again
Martin Zubimendi is ready to leave Arsenal as soon as January, with a host of Europe's biggest clubs already aware of his situation, according to TEAMtalk.
The Spaniard arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2025 with plenty of fanfare, having turned down Liverpool a year earlier to eventually choose Arsenal instead. He was a regular starter for much of Arsenal's Premier League winning campaign, though his game time dried up as the season reached its business end.
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Since then, the summer signing of Bruno Guimaraes and Myles Lewis-Skelly's switch to an almost exclusively midfield role have pushed Zubimendi down to fourth choice for two spots, with Declan Rice remaining first choice in central areas. Zubimendi has not started a single Premier League game this season, and has been an unused substitute in three of Arsenal's last four league matches.
Zubimendi ready to quit Arsenal in January
TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey reported: “Martin Zubimendi is ready to leave Arsenal in January in a bid to get his career back on track, with a host of leading European clubs now aware of his situation.”
Spain's big three, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, are all said to be interested in bringing Zubimendi back to LaLiga. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also been “informed of the midfielder's availability,” according to the report.
From the Premier League, long time admirers Liverpool are aware of the situation, while Chelsea are also said to be circling. Liverpool did not sign a direct replacement for Curtis Jones over the summer, while Chelsea sold Enzo Fernandez on deadline day without landing a replacement after a move for Lamine Camara fell through at the last minute.
Arsenal's stance on a potential exit
Bailey's report states Arsenal are aware of Zubimendi's desire to leave and are prepared to sanction a move, provided the terms suit the club. A loan arrangement is understood to be one option Arsenal could consider, though the exact structure of any deal would need to be assessed.
That caveat is said to be significant given the size of Arsenal's original outlay and the number of clubs now aware of the situation. Any move would reportedly need to work for Arsenal as well as the player, particularly given the club paid £60 million to sign him from Real Sociedad.
With the January window still some weeks away, Arsenal's stance and the identity of any suitor willing to meet the club's valuation will likely shape how quickly this situation develops.
