“He’s the best defensive midfielder in Europe after Rodri, he’s 1.81m tall and already has 3 goals this season”- Fabrizio Romano has just report that Arsenal have just entered a ‘serious’ deal to land £53M dynamic midfielder who has been deemed as the best DM in Europe after Rodri- Contacts already made and player’s dream is to play alongside Declan Rice

Arsenal want £53m star deemed the best defensive midfielder in Europe after Rodri

Arsenal have been heavily linked with Martin Zubimendi over the past 12 months or so.

And with the January transfer window edging ever closer, speculation linking the Gunners and the Real Sociedad ace continues to do the rounds.

For instance, Fabrizio Romano recently told Kick that Arsenal are one of several clubs that think Zubimendi can become a really special player.

Now, Spanish football expert Sid Lowe has described the reported Gunners target as arguably the second best defensive midfielder in all of Europe.

Lowe, speaking on The Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast, was speaking about what has made Sociedad such a special team this season.

“They’ve got three or four players that are really lovely to watch,” he said. “Take Kubo is a really good player to watch. Brais Mendez is really nice.

“Martin Zubimendi is, I think, just about as good a deep-lying midfielder as there is in Europe, apart from maybe Rodri.”

Martin Zubimendi a good shout for Arsenal but January move seems difficult

Arsenal could certainly do with bolstering their midfield ranks further in the upcoming transfer windows.

Thomas Partey’s injury record is concerning, while the jury remains out on Fabio Vieira and Luton loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Zubimendi would be an outstanding acquisition for Arsenal, but admittedly, it would be a difficult signing to make in January

On the plus side, the 24-year-old reportedly has a £53million release clause, which means Sociedad wouldn’t be able to block an approach if Arsenal made their move.

However, the player himself loves Sociedad and is happy at the club, as Fabrizio Romano reported earlier this year.

This suggests the likelihood is he’d stay until at least the summer, as leaving mid-season would not endear him to the fans, to put it mildly.

In addition, Arsenal aren’t alone in pursuit of Zubimendi. The likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona apparently also want him. That’s stiff competition for the Gunners.