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Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso wants Martin Zubimendi of Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
That's according to reports from Spain, which claim the new Blues boss still wants to add faces to his midfield options, and has targeted his fellow Spaniard as a potential new signing alongside Moises Caicedo.
Zubimendi has enjoyed a phenomenal 12 months, winning the Premier League and World Cup – but may well be open to the switch, given his playing time might be about to drop significantly.
FourFourTwo understands that Real Madrid – managed at the time by Alonso – were one of the frontrunners to sign Zubimendi a year ago, when it became apparently that the no.6 was open to leaving boyhood club, Real Sociedad.
Real pushed hard for the midfielder – as did Liverpool and Manchester City at different stages – though Zubimendi was won over in the end by the prospect of working with fellow Basque, Mikel Arteta, along with former team-mates Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino.
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Zubimendi played a whopping 57 games in all competitions last term for the Gunners, including every single Premier League fixture – but now, Spanish outlet Fichajes have reaffirmed claims from Chelsea writer Si Phillips that Alonso has requested the signing, following a potentially complicated future.
Arteta leant on Zubimendi heavily in the first half of the season, but by the end of the campaign, Myles Lewis-Skelly was starting in midfield alongside Declan Rice, even starting the Champions League final in place of the more experienced midfielder.
With Arsenal closing a deal for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes now, minutes might become even harder for Zubimendi to come by in N5.
The 27-year-old was one of Arteta's most important players early in his debut term but looked tired towards the end of the campaign, becoming sloppier on the ball and failing to play with the same verticality and bravery that he showed when he first joined.
From Zubimendi's perspective, a move to Stamford Bridge would give him the opportunity to work with another Basque coach who understands his position – also having played there himself – and with Chelsea out of Europe this season, he wouldn't be as overworked in his sophomore season in English football.
Arteta has been quick to make up his mind about midfielders in the past, though FourFourTwo understands that he doesn't want to lose the World Cup-winning Spaniard, and the club will not be entertaining offers unless they're exceptional – especially with fitness concerns over Declan Rice.
The England international carried a back injury for much of the World Cup and played through “terrible pain” for the Three Lions at times, sparking fears that he may need a lengthy layoff before returning to domestic duty.
Zubimendi is worth €75 million, according to Transfermarkt. Chelsea start their Premier League season against Fulham.