Arsenal are said to be convinced that they will sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the summer transfer window.
The Londoners were held to a 2-2 stalemate by Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday night, meaning they can no longer surpass league-leaders Liverpool’s points tally of 79.
Boss Mikel Arteta will be concerned that his side have dropped 18 points from winning positions in the the top flight, more than they had in their two previous campaigns combined (17).
The Gunners seem destined to finish second for a third consecutive season, and Arteta will be keen to strengthen the squad to finally push his team over the line.
Signings claim that Arsenal are in pole position ahead of Real Madrid to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Zubimendi, with the Spaniard seen as a potential replacement for Thomas Partey or Jorginho.
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Will Zubimendi take Arsenal to the title?
The 26-year-old plays at the base of midfield and excels with the ball at his feet, and his ability to control the tempo of matches could help replace the impact of Jorginho.
Zubimendi is also adept at breaking lines with his passing, and his skillset would help to complement Declan Ricewho has at times struggled when asked to have a greater role in early phases of buildup.
While the Real Sociedad midfielder is arguably not as strong out of possession as Partey, Arsenal already boast the best defensive record in the league having conceded just 29 goals in 34 matches.
However, the Gunners have scored 12 fewer goals than league-leaders Liverpool despite playing a game more, and their xG figure of 51.8 is only the seventh best in the top flight.
Perhaps Arsenal would benefit more from Zubimendi’s line-breaking passes than they would having Partey at the base of midfield shielding the defence.
Regardless of whether Arsenal ultimately manage to sign the Spaniard, they will almost certainly have to bring in an extra midfielder given both Jorginho’s and Partey’s contracts are expiring in the summer.
