Martin Zubimendi Transfer Admission Leaves Real Madrid Full of Regret

The midfielder happily took his talents to Arsenal during the summer despite interest from Real Madrid.

Martín Zubimendi is enjoying life at Arsenal. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi insisted there is “no way” he should be viewed as the missing link in Real Madrid’s midfield.

Former Madrid manager Xabi Alonso is known to have pushed hard for his club to pursue Zubimendi during the summer when it became apparent he would leave Real Sociedad, but Los Blancos declined to join the race as Arsenal snatched the Spain international up for around £55 million ($76 million at the time).

With Madrid now admitting their need for a new tempo-setting midfielder to fill the void left behind by Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, Alonso may feel validated by his desire to sign Zubimendi, who argued he is not the missing piece of the puzzle at the Bernabéu.

“I don’t think so,” Zubimendi told Cadena SER. “Madrid has more than enough players to do well.

“No way, no way.”

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Why Would Real Madrid Want Martín Zubimendi?

Luka Modrić (left) and Toni Kroos (right) enjoyed significant success at Real Madrid. | Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid/Getty Images

So much of Madrid’s success over the past decade can be attributed to their midfield. The trio of Modrić, Kroos and the defensively minded Casemiro dominated Europe, combining for four Champions League titles before the latter’s departure in 2022, after which Modrić and Kroos added another trophy to their cabinet and took their personal tallies to six.

Kroos retired in the summer of 2024 and Modrić, now 40 years old, was allowed to leave for AC Milan at the end of last season, and things have never been the same.

There is immense talent in the Madrid midfield ranks: Jude Bellingham, Aurelién Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Dani Ceballos. There are no questions about the ability of the players, but major concerns have been raised over their long-term suitability alongside one another.

Among the biggest issues for Madrid fans is a lack of control during matches, which often see Madrid exposed defensively and relying on individual brilliance from their superstar forwards to paper over the cracks. Clearly, asking Kylian Mbappé to score half (37) of the team’s total goals this season (75) is not sustainable.

Such an absence of composure in midfield is alien to many Madrid fans after so many years of watching Modrić and Kroos, masterful technicians comfortable on both sides of the ball, and Alonso is believed to have recognized the need for a similar profile to be signed during the summer.

At that time, Zubimendi was a regular in the Spain squad with 180 games of La Liga experience under his belt, coming through as the latest in a long line of Spanish midfielders for whom possession and passing come naturally. While he may not have hit the superstar heights of Modrić and Kroos, there was no denying he was the sort of player fans wanted to see.

Those who doubted Zubimendi’s quality need only to watch his impact on Arsenal’s midfield. With him as their anchor, Arsenal have the best defense in the Premier League and are comfortable favorites to go on and win the English title. Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has gleefully described his midfield maestro as “exceptional.”

If Madrid decided to finally act on their interest in Zubimendi, it would now cost them well over double the fee Arsenal paid last summer.

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Who Else Could Real Madrid Sign?

Álvaro Arbeloa will hope to see his squad reinforced in the summer. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Here’s the million-dollar question.

Players of this ilk are in short supply and high demand, meaning they rarely hit the market. Those with elite-level experience are usually on the books of rivals, and whether you’re prepared to take a risk on a young prospect is a different matter entirely.

In terms of ready-made stars, there are a handful of names regularly linked with Madrid. Manchester City’s Rodri and Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister are regularly touted as targets, but recent speculation revolves around Enzo Fernández and Vitinha, of Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.

Any of that quartet would command an astronomical figure, with all four clubs in a position to reject that sort of offer given their own financial strength.

The Premier League pairing of Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton appear to be next up, but both have huge suitors in their own domestic league. As stressed above, competition for proven players is almost always fierce when they emerge.

Madrid may find themselves forced to take a risk on a younger player who is yet to prove their ability at the highest level. On that shortlist, 20-year-old Kees Smit of AZ Alkmaar is thought to rank highly.

Regardless of who Madrid officials choose to pursue during the summer, there will be a huge element of risk—either financially or in terms of immediate impact. Those in favor of Zubimendi will be quick to point out how the Arsenal man was about as close to a sure-thing as Madrid could want.

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