Arsenal are hoping to win the race to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi in the summer and his latest performance against Real Madrid will have caught their eye.
Andrea Berta is hoping to make Zubimendi his first Arsenal signing and is working to get a deal lined up for the summer.
However, the Gunners face strong competition for his signature, with Real Madrid also in the race to sign Zubimendi, with Los Blancos having now made the player aware of their interest.
The 24-year-old was in action for Soiedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening and the Spanish media have been assessing his performance.
Spanish media hail Martin Zubimendi’s performance vs Real Madrid
Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo was left very impressed by Martin Zubimendi’s display against Real Madrid, describing him as a ‘leader’.
Sociedad came close to causing an upset in the Copa del Rey semi-final only for Madrid to eliminate them in the final stages of extra-time.
The visitors went into the final ten minutes of normal time leading 3-1 on the night, however, two late goals from Madrid put them 4-3 up on aggregate heading into stoppage time.
Mikel Oyarzabal scored in the 93rd minute to level the tie with Antonio Rudiger winning the game in extra-time in the final five minutes.
But Sociedad were very impressive in the Spanish capital and their high-in-demand midfielder Zubimendi was particularly impressive on the night.
Mundo Deportivo gave the Arsenal transfer target a 6/10 rating and wrote: “He was the leader of a team that needed his guidance for many phases of the match. A key player in both defense and offense, he brought rigor to his team’s play.”
Martin Zubimendi’s stats vs Real Madrid
Zubimendi showed why Arsenal and Madrid are so keen to sign him this summer with a brilliant all-around display against the European champions.
| Stat | Total |
| Minutes | 120 |
| Touches | 83 |
| Accurate passes | 69/73 (95%) |
| Duels contested | 4 |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
Only two players completed more passes them him during the match and he managed more touches than any of his Sociedad teammates as he controlled the middle of the park.
