Mikel Arteta suffers new transfer blow as rivals look to hijack £51m Arsenal deal

Arsenal are facing contention from Real Madrid successful their pursuit of Martin Zubimendi, who rejected the accidental to articulation Liverpool past summertime successful bid to enactment astatine Real Sociedad

Arsenal person suffered a stroke successful their pursuit of Martin Zubimendi, with Real Madrid present eyeing a summertime swoop for the midfielder.

Zubimendi was heavy linked with a determination to Liverpool past year, but yet decided to enactment astatine Real Sociedad. However, Arsenal were besides funny successful the 26-year-old and reports person claimed that the Gunners are poised to motion Zubimendi successful the summer.

According to the Mail, Arsenal are acceptable to trigger Zubimendi's £51million merchandise clause with talks implicit the woody astatine an 'advanced stage'. The study added that Arsenal 'accelerated their interest' owed to uncertainty implicit the futures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho, who are some retired of declaration astatine the extremity of the season.

However, it has present emerged that Madrid could scupper the deal, with the Athletic reporting that determination are 'increasing discussions' implicit a determination for Zubimendi taking spot astatine the Bernabeu.

Madrid are hoping to motion Trent Alexander-Arnold connected a escaped transportation from Liverpool and the study states that they are besides successful the marketplace for a centre-back, on with a imaginable determination for Zubimendi.

The Spain planetary was quizzed astir his aboriginal backmost successful November, insisting: "There volition ever beryllium rumours and present that January is approaching, determination volition beryllium too, but I don't discarded vigor connected extracurricular noise. I'm blessed with the mode I'm handling it and I'm going to grip it."

Arsenal are besides expected to effort and motion a caller forward, having failed to bash truthful successful the January transportation model aft moves for the likes of Ollie Watkins and Mathys Tel proved unsuccessful.

Mikel Arteta was keen to bring successful attacking reinforcements aft some Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus suffered superior injuries and they suffered different stroke earlier this week erstwhile Gabriel Martinelli limped off arsenic they crashed retired of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle.

Arteta has since confirmed that Martinelli has suffered a hamstring injury, but the grade of the harm is unknown. "He felt something, I deliberation it was his hamstring and helium wasn't comfy to continue. So we volition person to person immoderate MRI scan time to spot the grade of the injury," helium said.

Arsenal volition beryllium backmost successful enactment connected Saturday erstwhile they big a struggling Leicester broadside astatine the Emirates. The Gunners volition beryllium keen to get backmost to winning ways aft their decision to Newcastle, with Liverpool six points supra them successful rubric contention with a crippled successful hand.

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