Arsenal’s midfield is tighter than most midfields in the world. – With two of the world’s best in Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard, it is easy to fall outside when a player of Bruno Guimarães’ qualities is brought in for big money.
Martín Zubimendi has ended up in the bind that everyone expected captain Martin Ødegaard to end up in before the extreme “form boost” the Norwegian got after a World Cup full of love.
Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard – The mentality is not to defend the title, but to attack it
The Spanish midfielder has moved down the hierarchy with Mikel Arteta, and now he is considering leaving the Emirates in the summer of 2027 – if he does not regain confidence as a regular starter.
Zubimendi joined Arsenal for €70 million in the summer of 2025, with high expectations of becoming a mainstay in midfield. But after just one season, reality has hit hard. After two games in the Premier League, the 27-year-old has only been given 42 minutes of playing time. – And he is not an obvious starter for Sunday’s game at the Emirates Stadium against Chelsea.
Read: Jamie Vardy could make sensational return to Premier League after ditching Wrexham
Why he has ended up in the shadows
The reason is simple: Arsenal have further strengthened their midfield. The arrival of Bruno Guimarães, combined with young Myles Lewis-Skelly’s breakthrough, has pushed Zubimendi further down the line. Declan Rice and Martin Ødegaard are indisputable first choices – and now it seems that Lewis-Skelly has also overtaken the Spaniard in the hierarchy.
The trend already started towards the end of last season, where Zubimendi was scrapped in favour of Lewis-Skelly in both the decisive league game and the Champions League final against PSG.
Fears for the national team’s chances
For Zubimendi, it’s about more than club games. With Rodri – FC Barcelona’s midfield general and MVP of the 2026 World Cup – as the indisputable first candidate in Spain’s midfield, the battle for second place is fierce. Without regular playing time at Arsenal, the opportunity to convince the national team manager is also gone.
Therefore, the Spanish international has now made it clear to those closest to him that he wants to leave – unless the situation changes drastically.
Arsenal open for sale
The club is not ruling out a sale either. On the contrary: Arsenal are said to be willing to let Zubimendi leave the club in the summer transfer window in order to free up capital for new signings – especially in the attacking side. The contract does extend until 2030, but the money from a sale may be too tempting to refuse.
English clubs: Arsenal’s own analysis of the summer window
More big clubs in the pipeline
Zubimendi’s situation has not gone unnoticed. According to sources, several of Europe’s biggest clubs are watching:
- Real Madrid are looking for reinforcements in midfield
- Bayern Munich have had the Spaniard on their radar for months
- Liverpool are considering striking if the price is right
If the playing time does not increase during the autumn, his agents will assess the situation thoroughly before Christmas. If the starting percentage is still too low, exit negotiations could be initiated even before the window opens in 2027.
The key question: Can Arteta hold on to him?
The Champions League group stage will start shortly, and with several games close to each other, rotation may be necessary. That could give Zubimendi another chance to prove himself. But the question is whether it will be enough – or whether we are facing another big midfield sale from Arsenal.
Confirmed! Arsenal sell Gabriel Martinelli with significant sale gain
