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Martin Zubimendi to Chelsea: Chelsea have identified Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi as a possible transfer target after Xabi Alonso urged club executives to look closely at the Spain international. The claim comes from Chelsea insider Si Phillips on his Substack, where he revealed that Alonso has personally backed a move if the circumstances become favourable before the transfer window closes.
That interest has surfaced after Arsenal struck a £75 million agreement with Newcastle United for Bruno Guimaraes. If the Brazilian joins Declan Rice in Mikel Arteta’s preferred midfield, Zubimendi could find himself fighting for far fewer starts than he enjoyed during his first season in north London.
Alonso’s interest isn’t difficult to explain. He knows Zubimendi from their shared Real Sociedad background and has always admired his calm passing, positional discipline and ability to control matches without demanding headlines.
Arsenal, though, have financial decisions to make. Their pursuit of a new left winger and reported interest in Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez could force player sales before the window shuts. The Independent has already named Gabriel Martinelli as a possible departure if an upgrade arrives, while Arsenal recently turned away Manchester United’s approach for Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Martin Zubimendi to Chelsea would be difficult to complete
Interest and reality rarely match in the transfer market. Arsenal spent £55.8 million to sign Zubimendi from Real Sociedad only a year ago, and selling him straight to Chelsea would strengthen a direct rival while weakening their own title-winning squad.
His numbers justify Arsenal’s patience. During the 2025/26 Premier League season, the 27-year-old played all 38 league matches, scored five goals and supplied one assist across 3,005 minutes as the Gunners lifted their first league title since 2004. He added one goal in three EFL Cup appearances and produced one assist in 13 Champions League matches despite losing his place for the final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Martin Zubimendi to Chelsea creates more questions than answers
Bruno Guimaraes may reduce Zubimendi’s minutes, yet Arsenal still need genuine competition across multiple competitions. That alone gives the club every reason to demand well above their original investment, with any asking price likely moving beyond £70 million.
Chelsea’s own squad raises another issue. Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Romeo Lavia and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall already compete for central midfield places, while the club have committed £117 million to Morgan Rogers this summer. Profit and Sustainability Rules still matter, and adding another premium midfielder without European football hardly feels like a logical piece of business, even if Alonso rates Martin Zubimendi highly.