Martin Zubimendi appears to have cast fresh doubt on a potential transfer to Arsenal.
The Spain midfielder had been expected to complete a high-profile summer move to north London that was first mooted back during the January window.
Arsenal were expected to trigger the £51million release clause in Zubimendi’s current contract at Real Sociedad, with reports emerging last week that the 26-year-old was poised to undergo a medical with all the relevant paperwork signed and the deal close to being finalised.
However, around the same time the player himself uploaded photos to social media from a beach in San Sebastian, appearing to offer a veiled denial to claims that he was travelling to north London.
Arsenal still have yet to complete the signing of Zubimendi, leading to growing nerves among fans, particularly amid lingering reports that Real Madrid may yet swoop at the 11th hour to sign a player who snubbed a switch to the Premier League with Liverpool last summer and has also been linked with Manchester City.
Those fears are unlikely to have been calmed by a new interview given by Zubimendi to Radio Nacional de Espana ahead of Spain’s Nations League semi-final tie against France in Stuttgart on Thursday night, in which he appeared to admit that he did not know where he would end up this summer, seemingly not yet ruling out potentially staying at Sociedad.
Of course there are options, but it’s true that it seems like it’s going to be a different, long summer, and I don’t know how it will end,” Zubimendi said.
“I don’t think thinking about it right now is my priority. I’m here with the national team, which I think is already quite demanding, and if I have to say something, then I will.”
On those pictures on his Instagram account, Zubimendi added: “It’s an example of what surrounds football.
“Many times I wake up in the morning and read things that I didn’t know I had done. That was a clear example
It’s true that I don’t take it very seriously, but anyway, I uploaded those photos to emphasise a little that it wasn’t exactly the reality that was happening.”
Real Madrid’s move to replace the Brazil-bound Carlo Ancelotti with Xabi Alonso as manager will only increase speculation over a possible switch to the Bernabeu for Zubimendi, who has made his admiration for a Sociedad legend quite clear.
However, he refused to be drawn on claims that he could yet decide to head to Madrid instead of Arsenal this summer.
“I have always said that he [Alonso] was my idol and that for me it was lucky that he was able to coach me in the reserve team in a very important year,” Zubimendi said.
The following year I was already in the first team and, well, I don’t like to talk about those hypotheses, I prefer to talk about the present.
“I also think that it would be disrespectful to answer from the national team training camp and before facing such an important competition.”
