Zubimendi – nothing concrete

Arsenal outlets are going crazy – jumping to conclusions about the Daily Mail report this morning about Martin Zubimendi having virtually agreed to join Arsenal in the Summer.

Got to look at the words – Arsenal are confident; talks are understood to have progressed in recent days, with the Spain midfielder thought to be keen to join.

Journalsits close to the player in Spain are flatly denying any deal has been agreed and re-iterate Zubimendi is deciding on his options in the summer. Besides he received ankle and knee injuries on Monday at the game with Villareal – so extremely strange timing.

The synergies are obviously there with Arsenal – Arteta has wanted the player for a long time, and they hail from the same region. His mate Mikel Merino is at Arsenal and he has played with Martin Odegaard, and Thomas Partey’s and Jorginho‘s contracts are finished in the Summer.

Another line of thought if the story is true: has Sociedad director of football Roberto Olabe been picked for the Arsenal job? If so, Zubimendi would make sense as part of the package. Or has interim director Jason Ayto played a blinder and put himself in contention for the sporting director role?

The other is PR speak – no harm in putting out to a journalist – that the club thinks it is close to a deal – to lift the black clouds over the Emirates at the moment.