Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are leading the race for the signature of Barcelona midfield target Martin Zubimendi. According to Sport via SportWitness, Arsenal are looking to reinforce their midfield in the summer and they are keen on acquiring the services of Martin Zubimendi. The Real Sociedad defensive midfielder is on the wishlist of quite a few top clubs but the Gunners are the ones leading the race for his signature.

Zubimendi has been a part of the Sociedad setup since his childhood days. He came up the ranks at some pace and was promoted to their first team back in the summer of 2020.

The Spanish international has established himself as an integral part of their first team and has been a consistent performer over the years. The 25-year-old midfielder has featured in 45 matches this term and he has been in exceptional form throughout.

His performances haven't gone unnoticed and there is no shortage of interest in him. While his contract with Sociedad runs until the summer of 2027, there is a EUR60 million release clause in his deal which could lead to his departure in the summer.

While Zubimendi decided against parting ways with the club last summer despite a lot of interest, he did it because he wanted to play in the Champions League with his childhood club. Since Sociedad won't be featuring in the UCL next season, the Spanish international could end up joining a bigger club in the summer.

Barcelona keen on signing Zubimendi Barcelona are one of the clubs that have been monitoring him for a long while now. They want to sign the 25-year-old and their sporting director Deco met his agents on Monday to discuss a potential transfer. The Catalan giants have been made aware that the only way to sign him is by triggering the release clause.

Given the kind of financial situation the Spanish club are in, they might not be able to land him at the club in the summer. They will have to overcome multiple hurdles in order to invest EUR60 million which at this point in time looks very unlikely. While Bayern were also linked with Zubimendi, recent reports have suggested that they consider the asking price to be too expensive.

Arsenal front-runners for his signature Meanwhile, Arsenal are also keen on his signature and they are front runners in the race for the Sociedad defensive midfielder. The Spanish midfielder wants to play in the Premier League and this is why the North London club have an edge over other teams.

With Thomas Partey expected to be on the move in the summer, the 25-year-old could come in as an ideal replacement. He will be a huge boost for their team and could form a dependable partnership with Declan Rice in the centre of the park.