Real Madrid make late move to hijack Arsenal transfer; Mikel Arteta could lose key signing: Report

Real Madrid have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi. According to Spanish outlet MARCA, the Gunners were close to signing the Real Sociedad midfielder, but nothing was finalized. With Los Blancos now joining the race, Arsenal are now in danger of missing out on the 26-year-old.

Multiple top European sides, including Liverpool, were reportedly interested in Zubimendi's services last season. However, he decided to stay put at Real Sociedad for another term.

Notably, the midfielder rose through the ranks at Sociedad and has made 236 appearances for the senior team, scoring 10 goals and bagging nine assists. His contract with La Txuri-Urdin will expire in the summer of 2027.

Zubimendi is currently on national duty with La Roja. After beating France 5-4 in the UEFA Nations League semifinals last week, Spain lost 5-3 to Portugal on penalties in the final on Sunday, June 8.

Martin Zubimendi was La Roja's top performer in the final. The 26-year-old scored Spain's first goal, completed 101 passes with an overall accuracy of 94% and won five duels.

Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe addresses his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or

Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe has addressed his chances of winning the Ballon d'Or. After guiding France to a 2-0 victory over Germany with a goal and an assist on Sunday, June 8, the 26-year-old stated that he was not the one who had to decide the winner of the accolade.

He told L'Equipe (via GOAL):

"I'm not the one who gives it (the Ballon d'Or) out. I have opinions, and I've had different opinions about the last winners, by the way. The only trophy that depends solely on my feet is the Golden Shoe. The rest, I don't vote for."

Ousmane Dembele, who won the European treble with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), is among the favourites to win the Ballon d'Or. Meanwhile, the other candidate for the coveted individual accolade is Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who enjoyed a breakthrough season under Hansi Flick, winning a domestic treble.

About the author

Shashank is a journalist at Sportskeeda covering European football since the past 2 years. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has also played the sport as a box-to-box midfielder and a full-back at national level, along with Tennis, Taekwondo and Boxing.

Shashank has been a Liverpool supporter since 2014 and had first stumbled upon the club after receiving a gift which had the words 'Liverpool FC' written on it. He has idolised Steven Gerrard over the years but his favorite football memory is the Reds' incredible comeback 4-0 win over Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League semis. He, unsurprisingly, also loves Jurgen Klopp's managerial style.

He strives to report 100% accurate content by going through several social media platforms, and prides himself on his above-average vocabulary and researching skills. In his career so far, Shashank has had the privilege of interviewing Indian national football team goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

Shashank also follows the Indian Super League and the Eredivisie along with European Football. In his off time, he likes to do theatre, watch Tennis, and travel.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava