Martin Zubimendi has dismissed talk of a January move to Atletico Madrid, insisting he is happy at Arsenal, has not contacted anyone and hopes to stay until the end of the season.
The Spain international has gone from a key man last season to a bench role under Mikel Arteta this term, with only 100 minutes across seven Premier League matches. That drop has led the Spanish media to talk up a return to La Liga, with claims on Monday that he was close to joining Diego Simeone’s side.
Now the player himself has answered. According to Marca, who spoke to him while he is away with Spain, he is not going anywhere if he can help it.
What did Zubimendi say about Atletico Madrid?
Martin Zubimendi was asked whether he was close to joining Los Rojiblancos, and he did not leave much room for doubt. “To be honest, the press sometimes surprises me too,” he told Marca. “I understand that the winter transfer window is approaching and rumours can surface, but I think we need to be a bit more careful with what we publish.”
He went on: “In the end, everyone has a team they play for, and we need to respect that. I’ve also read that I might be close, but not at all.”
His words follow Alex Baena’s comments on Monday, when he said he would love his Spain team-mate to join him at Atletico, calling him the second best in his position after Rodri. Zubimendi is now with the national team, preparing for the Nations League fixtures against the Czech Republic and England.
‘I have enough on my plate’
The former Real Sociedad midfielder was also asked whether he was calm about the exit talk. His answer says a lot about where his head is.
“Yes, I haven’t wasted any energy on external matters,” he said. “I have enough on my plate trying to earn a place, get playing time, and fight to win this Premier League, which is looking so promising. I haven’t spent any energy on that, nor have I contacted anyone.”
That last line matters. A player angling for a move usually lets his camp do the talking. Zubimendi has gone out of his way to say nobody from his side has picked up the phone.
Why the rumours really bother him
Zubimendi was honest about how much the stories get to him. Asked if they bothered him, he said: “Yes, they really do. Often, a story comes out. It seems that if it doesn’t come true, it’s quickly forgotten, and nothing happens.”
“I’m getting to know how this world works, and I’m getting used to it, but sometimes I could avoid a lot of the messages I receive because of these kinds of stories,” he added. “I even have to go on Twitter myself to see what’s said so I can answer the people who ask me about it.”
Is Zubimendi staying at Arsenal?
For now, that is his plan. Asked if he was happy in London, he said simply: “Yes, I’m happy.” Pressed on whether he will still be an Arsenal player at the end of the season, he replied: “Yes, I hope so. I’m happy there.”
It is a different tone from earlier this month, when there was talk that he was ready to consider a January exit. Whatever the truth of that, the message from Spain this week is that he wants to fight for his place rather than run from it.
Verdict: Zubimendi has made Atletico’s job harder
Words in an international camp do not close a transfer window, and “I hope so” is not quite “I’m staying”. But this is about as clear a public answer as a player can give without sounding like he is picking a fight with his own manager.
For Arsenal, it is the best outcome. They keep a World Cup winner who wants to be part of a title push, and any club hoping to prise him away in January now has to deal with a player who has said, on the record, that he is happy where he is. If Arteta can find him more than scraps of minutes, this story could go quiet very quickly.
