Manchester United have been handed a big boost in signing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi amid his preference to play in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old has been in fine form for Sociedad this campaign. He has played a crucial role for the La Liga outfit, who are currently third in their league table.
His progress has caught the eye of Spanish giants Barcelona, but it is now reported that the midfielder has his sights on moving to the English top-flight.
Zubimendi, who has a release clause worth €60 million in his contract, is focused on staying with Sociedad until the summer before switching clubs.
United handed big boost in signing Zubimendi
Barcelona have identified Zubimendi as a replacement for Sergio Busquets this summer.
In the pre-match presser before the Copa del Rey quarter-final tie against Sociedad, manager Xavi Hernandez described him as a ‘great’ player.
However, their hopes of signing him could be dashed due to his Premier League ambition.
Premier League leaders Arsenal are interested in signing Zubimendi, but it won’t surprise us if United enter the pursuit, having monitored him this campaign.
Zubimendi faced United twice during the Europa League group stage. Manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly a big admirer and could urge the club to sign him.
The Spaniard is a defensive midfielder by trade. He has averaged two tackles per league game this season while winning over 70 per cent of his aerial duels.
He has been pretty good with his distribution as well with an 85 per cent accuracy but his main strength has been his tireless work rate over 90 minutes.
Zubimendi could be seen as a strong competitor to Casemiro for the number six role next season. We could also see the duo playing together in midfield.
Scott McTominay is expected to leave the club in the summer and his departure should provide United with some of the funds required to land Zubimendi.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and SofaScore.com
