Real Sociedad have cooled claims that midfielder Martín Zubimendi has agreed to join Arsenal, suggesting the Spain international could still opt to stay at the club.
After rejecting an approach from Liverpool last summer, Zubimendi is thought to be open to leaving Sociedad this time around and reports in the English media have suggested a deal worth £51 million ($68.8 million) is on the cusp of completion.
It was recently claimed all relevant paperwork had been signed and Zubimendi was due to undergo a medical with Arsenal.
However, a recent press conference involving Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay, sporting director Erik Bretos and manager Sergio Francisco appeared to tell a different story.
“Zubimendi is the only player we‘ve spoken to about leaving,” Aperribay said. “Clubs have asked us, but no player has told us they want to leave.
“We‘ve told Martín to go to the national team calmly, to think about it, and we‘d like him to stay. We know there are several options. Something may come to fruition or not... I don‘t see it happening in the short term. We don‘t see it that way, so we have to wait and see.”
Sporting director Bretos added: “He‘s one of the best midfielders in the world, and I would love for him to always be at Real Sociedad, but our duty is to be prepared in case he ever leaves Real Sociedad.
“I would like to remember what happened last summer with him because what he did is something few players can do.”
Francisco, recently hired to replace long-time manager Imanol Alguacil, was more willing to consider a future without Zubimendi.
“I don‘t think there‘s any need to talk about Martín‘s importance,” he said. “I think there are players at home capable of taking over from him, and if the replacement is not there, we should be able to find players there. I think we have them.”
In addition to Zubimendi, Arsenal continue to be linked with splashing big money on a striker—RB Leipzig's Benjamin Šeško the name most commonly banded about, although Liverpool and Chelsea have also been linked.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘We Don't See it That Way’—Arsenal Sent Martin Zubimendi Transfer Warning.
