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Martin Zubimendi has dismissed rumors about having a medical at Arsenal and opened doors for a move to Real Madrid. He has said that Xabi Alonso, who has been appointed as the new manager at Santiago Bernabeu, is his idol.
Speaking to the media ahead of Spain vs France in the UEFA Nations League on June 5, Zubimendi said that he has not made a decision on his future. He added that him posting photos from his vacation was his sign of debunking the rumors of him having a medical with Arsenal. He said via The Madrid Zone:
"My future? It will be a long summer. I don't know how it will end. If Xabi Alonso calls me to join Real Madrid? I've always said Xabi is my idol, and it was a privilege to have him as my coach at La Real B."
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"If he called me now? I don't want to talk about that hypothesis, I'd rather talk about the present. It would be disrespectful to talk about that while I'm on national team duty. I posted pics on a Spanish beach while rumors said I'm in London doing medical exams for Arsenal? Yes, I did that to make it clear those rumors were not true."
Martin Zubimendi has a £51 million clause in his contract, and Arsenal are keen on activating it. Real Madrid also remain interested after the departure of Luka Modric.
Real Madrid target rejected move to Arsenal's rivals Liverpool in 2024
Liverpool activated Martin Zubimendi's release clause in 2024, but the Spaniard decided to stay at Real Sociedad. He claimed that it was not a hard decision to reject the move to the Premier League.
He told El Diario Vasco via GOAL:
“I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise. It wasn’t something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose. It was an uncomfortable time for me but I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay. I don’t believe in 'once-in-a-lifetime' opportunities. If you’re good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There’s no need to rush.
"I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision. There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me – and that was staying.”
Arsenal were confident of sealing a deal for Zubimendi after holding talks earlier this year. However, Xabi Alonso's move to Real Madrid has changed the dynamics.
