Arsenal in talks to sign £60m Zubimendi upgrade

The winter transfer window was nothing short of disastrous for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side were still in both domestic cups and just about within touching distance of Liverpool atop the Premier League when it was opened, yet the board opted not to sign a single player despite the attack being decimated.

The Gunners are now out of both cups, miles off the Reds in the league, and could still be without two of their regular front three when they face Real Madrid in the Champions League next month.

The only transfer-related positive to come out of January was the surprise news that the North Londoners were seen as the most likely to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi come the summer.

However, recent reports have linked Arsenal with a potential upgrade on the Spaniard, a player that incoming Sporting Director Andrea Berta has reportedly tried to sign before.

Arsenal targeting Zubimendi upgrade under Berta

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are planning for a big summer of transfer activity and have identified Newcastle United star Bruno Guimarães as one of their key targets.

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In fact, the report has revealed that the desire to chase the Brazilian international stems primarily from incoming Sporting Director Andrea Berta, who is ‘in love’ with him and tried to sign him three times while at Atlético Madrid. The fact the Italian would like to bring him to the Emirates has already been brought up in talks with the player’s circle.

The good news for the North Londoners is that the story claims a failure to qualify for the Champions League this season will see the asking price for the midfield monster drop to just £60m.

It could be a complicated and still relatively costly transfer to get over the line, but given Guimarães immense ability, one well worth pursuing, even if that means skipping out on Zubimendi.

How Guimarães compares to Zubimendi

In an ideal world, Arsenal would be able to sign both midfielders this summer, but with the attack needing some serious investment, we can see a world in which it’s one or the other.

In that case, it would probably be a wise choice for Berta and Co to come down on the side of Guimarães, as while he and Zubimendi can both play in either the eight or six roles, he is the more dangerous of the pair in an attacking sense.

Moreover, with someone like Declan Rice on the team who can also play both roles to a high level, we’d argue that the ability to help out in attacks is more important, considering the defensive solidity of Arteta’s side.

For example, in just 36 appearances this term, the “world-class” midfielder, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored three goals and provided eight assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 3.27 games.

In contrast, the San Sebastian-born ace has scored one goal and provided two assists in 36 appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 12 games.

The one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

For example, per FBref, the Toon star comes out on top in most relevant metrics, including but not limited to, actual and expected non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, ball recoveries, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while both players would be fine additions to this Arsenal squad, Guimarães would undoubtedly be the better signing and one that would kick-start Berta’s tenure in a big way.

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