Overview
- Zubimendi started for Spain in the Nations League on Thursday and drew widespread praise for a high-touch, high-accuracy midfield display that national outlets called authoritative.
- The performance comes after a difficult start to the 2026–27 club season in which he has not started a Premier League match and has been used mainly off the bench.
- Multiple clubs are monitoring his situation ahead of January, with Chelsea repeatedly linked and Atletico and Real Madrid reported as interested while Bayern have reportedly ruled out a winter approach.
- Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reported to want to keep Zubimendi as squad depth and the club is expected to seek a fee close to the roughly £60m they paid in 2025, factors that make a January sale complicated.
- Zubimendi has publicly said he hopes to stay and will return to Arsenal having boosted his stock, a development that could lead to more club minutes or renewed transfer bids in the winter window.