Zubimendi gives ‘quick and forceful response’ to Real Madrid after Perez ‘contacts’ Arsenal star | OneFootball

Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi has turned down the chance to join Real Madrid in the summer of 2026, according to a Spanish report.

Zubimendi has been one of Arsenal’s best players this summer, following his €60million move from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2025.

The Spain international is one of the first names on the Arsenal teamsheet and has forged a formidable partnership with Declan Rice in the middle of the park.

Zubimendi has scored six goals and given three assists in 44 matches in all competitions this season for Arsenal, who are aiming to win the Premier League, the Champions League and the FA Cup after losing the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City last week.

It is well-documented that Xabi Alonso wanted to sign Zubimendi for Real Madrid when he was appointed the Spanish club’s manager in the summer of 2025.

However, Madrid president Florentino Perez did not heed Alonso’s suggestion, with the former Bayer Leverkusen manager eventually parting ways with Los Blancos in January 2026.

Madrid have since realised the importance of signing a top-quality midfielder who can control the tempo of the game.

Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain star Vitinha and Manchester City ace Rodri are just three of the midfielders on Madrid’s radar.

A Spanish report has now revealed that Madrid president Perez has also tried for Zubimendi, making contact with his agent to see if the Spaniard would be keen on a move to Estadio Bernabeu.

However, Zubimendi has decided not to leave Arsenal for Madrid and plans to continue his career at the Emirates Stadium under manager Mikel Arteta.

According to the report, Madrid president Pérez has ‘recently contacted’ Zubimendi’s ‘representative to convey that he would now be willing to make a proposal to remove him from the Gunners’ team’.

Zubimendi has ‘given a quick and forceful response, making it clear that he is not interested in this possibility’.

The midfielder ‘has no intention of leaving London in the short term and is ‘also very satisfied with the project at Arsenal’.

Zubimendi is currently with the Spain squad, with his national team’s manager, Luis de la Fuente, claiming that the Arsenal star is the second best defensive midfielder in the world after Rodri.

De la Fuente said: “After all the setbacks he went through, Rodri is back at a high level.

“I’ve said before that he is the best in the world, but also on those same occasions [when he was injured] that we are very fortunate.

“After all, in that position, the number six role, we have the two best players in the world: Rodri and Martin [Zubimendi].

“So I will get ahead of a question you are probably going to ask: can they play together? Of course they can play together.

“We can play that way [with a double pivot] perfectly well. In my idea of football, they [Rodri and Zubimendi] may occupy a similar role, but they are different players with different characteristics.

“In fact, Martin is getting into the box more now and scoring goals, but he also has the qualities of a positional player, with balance and outstanding tactical awareness.

“Rodri has those same qualities too, so having them there gives us security, that kind of structure. But at the same time, you have to remember that only 11 can start. Then you would ask me: what about Pedri? And Fermin [Lopez]? And Fabian [Ruiz]?’”