The upcoming summer transfer window for Arsenal could depend on how their season ends in the Premier League and the Champions League.
They are still competing to win both competitions and their success in those tournaments could decide the level of target they are able to attract ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
However, despite there still being a number of weeks left to play before the end of the season, Mikel Arteta and Edu are already hard at work to identify targets.
The Premier League giants are reportedly looking at a central midfielder to bolster their options in the middle of the park, with a replacement for Jorginho possibly on the cards.
Arsenal looking for Jorginho replacement
According to CaughtOffside, the Gunners have identified Real Sociedad maestro Martin Zubimendi as a potential addition ahead of the summer transfer window. The report claims that the club are likely to consider him as their priority target in that midfield position, as they do not believe a deal for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz is realistic at this moment in time.
It states that they are leaning towards a swoop for the Spain international due to there being a release clause in his contract that would allow Edu to get a deal done for €60m (£51m), and they believe that Luiz would be considerably more expensive to sign from their Premier League rivals.
CaughtOffside adds that Zubimendi could be lined up as a replacement for Jorginho, whose contract expires at the end of the season, at the base of the Gunners midfield.
The outlet claims that Italian giants Juventus are interested in a deal for the former Chelsea metronome and have already been in contact with his representatives ahead of a summer move, which would then open up a space in Arteta’s squad for the Sociedad star.
Martin Zubimendi compared to Jorginho this season
At the age of 32, Arsenal may see it as the right time to allow Jorginho to depart on a free transfer, rather than extend his deal by another 12 months, to replace him with Zubimendi.
The 25-year-old La Liga star has been in impressive form at the base of his team’s midfield this season, where he has showcased his defensive quality.
23/24 season |
Martin Zubimendi (LaLiga) |
Jorginho (Premier League) |
---|---|---|
Appearances |
30 |
22 |
Sofascore rating |
7.06 |
6.94 |
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.8 |
1.5 |
Ball recoveries per game |
5.4 |
2.1 |
Dribbled past per game |
0.6 |
0.5 |
Duel success rate |
54% |
56% |
Pass accuracy |
86% |
90% |
Stats via Sofascore |
As you can see in the table above, the Spanish battler has offered more to his side than Jorginho when it comes to winning possession back through tackles, recoveries, and interceptions. This suggests that he could be more useful to Arsenal in big games, domestically and in Europe, when they will need to be strong out of possession to secure the win.
However, the Gunners man boasts the superior passing accuracy and that is something Arteta could work on with his compatriot to improve his all-round game over the years to come.
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The impressive centre-forward is an emerging target for both North London clubs.
Zubimendi, who was once dubbed an “incredible” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, still has plenty of time left to develop and improve over the years to come, at the age of 25, and could be a long-term signing for Arsenal.