Diego Simeone hasn’t given up on landing a midfield heavyweight for Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard has made Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi one of his targets for the winter window, looking to capitalise on the player’s reduced role at the Emirates.
French website “Foot Mercato” reported, citing “Radio Nacional de Espana” (RNE), that Mateu Alemany believes Atletico still need reinforcements. He has flagged Zubimendi as an interesting option to strengthen the middle of the park.
The former Real Sociedad man has slipped out of Arsenal’s starting line-up of late. That has left him open to leaving in search of more regular football, with other clubs circling too, among them Real Madrid, who were tracking him until recently.
Simeone is a long-standing admirer. He sees Zubimendi as a serious upgrade in midfield and dreams of pairing him with Pablo Barrios, but getting the deal over the line won’t be straightforward given the competition expected from several European clubs.
The Spanish station also touched on the future of Julian Alvarez, whose name was linked with Arsenal in the summer. It raised the prospect of moves involving both players, whether through a single transfer or even a straight swap.
For now, though, the idea of Zubimendi and Alvarez heading in opposite directions looks a long shot, however many surprises the market might throw up.
