Arsenal are now leading the race for a "world-class" Barcelona star, who has the same agent as Viktor Gyokeres, with Mikel Arteta personally keen on a creative midfielder.
Gunners eyeing new midfielder despite Zubimendi masterclass
After suffering a setback against Liverpool before the international break, the Gunners responded in perfect fashion against Nottingham Forest, chalking up a 3-0 victory, with summer signing Martin Zubimendi looking particularly impressive.
The Spaniard bagged the opening and final goal against the Tricky Trees, finding the back of the net with a superb volley from the edge of the box, which saw the 26-year-old pick up the Man of the Match award.
Arteta is well-stocked in the engine room, with the manager clearly a big fan of Mikel Merino, having trusted the 29-year-old to start ahead of Declan Rice against Forest, saying: "Mikel [Merino] comes back after scoring four goals in two games with a really high emotional state and I want to use that when a player is in that moment.
"I want to play him because he is going to bring something different with the qualities that they have and Declan comes in and it will have an impact immediately or he will play the next game."
However, according to a report from Spain, Arteta has set his sights on bringing in another creative midfielder in the January transfer window, with Arsenal now keen on a deal for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong
The Gunners are said to be the leading candidates for De Jong's signature, despite interest from the Saudi Pro League, with the Dutchman keen to remain at an elite European club, although ideally that would be Barcelona.
However, the 28-year-old, who cost the La Liga club €75m (£65m), is yet to agree a new contract with Barca, which means his current employers could look to cash-in this winter.
"World-class" De Jong could take Arsenal's midfield to next level
There are perhaps some doubts over whether the Gunners need another central midfielder, having signed Zubimendi in the summer, who has made a flying start to life at the Emirates Stadium.
However, with Arteta's side clearly at the stage where they can go deep into the Champions League, having reached the semi-finals last season, it makes sense to have a deeper squad, and De Jong could take their midfield to the next level.
Simone Inzaghi has suggested the Netherlands international could be one of the best players in the world in his position, saying: "Let me say that Frenkie de Jong is just sensational, he’s a world class player. Frenkie surprised me at same level as Lamine Yamal did."
The Barca star, who is represented by HCM Sports management, the same agency as Gyokeres, has considerable experience at the top level, picking up 19 goals and 23 assists in 261 games for Barcelona, so it is exciting news that he could be on his way to the Emirates Stadium this winter.