Chelsea are keen to secure a January deal for Spanish international midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who is currently struggling for regular minutes at Arsenal.
Reports from TEAMtalk indicate that both Chelsea and Real Madrid have maintained contact with Zubimendi’s camp regarding his difficult situation at the Emirates Stadium.
The 27-year-old is determined to fight for his place under Mikel Arteta, but his representatives have made clear he will seek a January exit if his first-team situation has not improved by the turn of the year.
Zubimendi lost his starting spot towards the end of last season to Myles Lewis-Skelly, with that selection policy continuing into the current campaign under Arteta.
The summer arrival of Bruno Guimaraes has added further competition in Arsenal’s midfield, making Zubimendi’s path back to regular football even more difficult to navigate.
Chelsea had previously identified Zubimendi as a potential replacement for Enzo Fernandez, though a deal failed to materialise during the summer transfer window.
Xabi Alonso’s side made late moves for Lamine Camara and Manu Kone before the transfer deadline, but both attempts were reportedly rebuffed by the respective clubs.
Chelsea did add Jordan Henderson from Brentford and Valentin Barco from Strasbourg during the window, though neither signing fully addresses the need for a dominant central midfielder.
Henderson provides valuable leadership for Chelsea’s young squad, while Barco is still considered a prospect requiring time to adapt to the demands of Premier League football.
A deal for Zubimendi would not come cheaply, with Arsenal expected to demand a fee above his £64m Transfermarkt valuation given the midfielder only arrived at the Emirates a year ago.
TEAMtalk reports that “both Real Madrid and Chelsea remain huge admirers of Zubimendi and have maintained contact regarding his situation,” pointing to a competitive pursuit in January.
Landing Zubimendi would give Alonso a genuine playmaker capable of controlling tempo and orchestrating build-up play from deep within Chelsea’s midfield structure.