Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi has blamed journalists and interviews for fuelling the fire over a potential move to Real Madrid in the summer, before he signed for the Gunners.
Zubimendi signed for the north London club at the start of July in a £60 million ($80.1 million) deal, and has started well in the Premier League. Arsenal supporters are hopeful that the club’s aggressive transfer window will help them get over the line in the title race this term, having finished runners-up in three consecutive seasons.
The reserved midfielder, ironically in a recent interview with El Mundo, blamed the media for erroneously stoking the fire before his move to Arsenal was complete.
“Well, I don’t know. In the end, based on the experiences I’ve had... they haven’t brought me many positive things. Sometimes they’ve even been negative, they’ve gotten me into trouble here and there... There have been some that have caused me awkward moments, so I prefer to avoid them sometimes,” the Arsenal midfielder said when asked if he liked doing interviews.
Linking it back to transfer talk in the summer, Zubimendi was questioned at the end if there was any truth to a Real Madrid move. The Spaniard replied with a chuckle before adding: “You see what I was saying about interviews?”
Zubimendi Downplays Real Madrid Talk Before Arsenal Move
Mikel Arteta earmarked Zubimendi as an addition to his midfield engine room when the club negotiated for Real Sociedad teammate Mikel Merino in 2024. Zubimendi had rejected an approach from Liverpool in the same transfer window to remain in San Sebastian, and it became clear the following January that he’d leave for Arsenal at the end of the 2024–25 season.
While Arsenal had all but concluded a deal for Zubimendi at the start of the year, a few delays at the start of the summer ignited rumours of a potential Real Madrid hijacking. In need of midfield reinforcements, media outlets used the player’s previous comments about working with Xabi Alonso again as a rationale for the swoop.
Zubimendi previously labelled Alonso as his “idol” and said he “loved working with him” when the Real Madrid manager took charge of Sociedad’s reserves in 2019.
While Alonso will certainly aim to rebuild Los Blancos’ midfield in 2026, Zubimendi, who’s committed to Arsenal long-term, will not be a part of Madrid’s plans.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Martin Zubimendi Addresses Real Madrid Transfer Rumours Before Arsenal Move.
