Manchester United have added Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi to their list of midfield targets, according to The Athletic.
Erik ten Hag is keen to add to his options in the middle of the pitch this summer, and the Euro 2024 winner is now a target for the Reds alongside a number of other options.
Zubimendi has attracted interest from several clubs in recent months after a standout campaign in La Liga, and the 25-year-old has a €60million (£50million) release clause in his contract.
Man United Make Midfielder Next Transfer Priority
Zubimendi is one of a number of targets
The Red Devils have been strongly linked with PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte this summer, with a transfer progressing well as Ten Hag looks for a partner for Kobbie Mainoo this season.
Zubimendi is someone who has been marked as a target according to The Athletic, while the likes of Adrien Rabiot and Sofyan Amrabat have also been named as potential options for the role.
2023/24 performance comparison | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Stat | Zubimendi | Ugarte | Rabiot |
Games | 29 (2) | 21 (4) | 30 (1) |
Goals | 4 | 0 | 5 |
Assists | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Pass Completion % | 85.7% | 91.2% | 82.2% |
Progressive Passes | 152 | 87 | 120 |
The club are likely to face competition for his signature from Arsenal, while Barcelona have also been linked with a move for the Spain international who played 45 minutes in the final of the Euro 2024 clash with England and has been described by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente as ‘one of the best central midfielders in the world’.
But United have made the midfield a priority area to strengthen this summer with big question marks around the future of star man Casemiro amid interest from Saudi Arabia, while there is a lot of interest in Scotland international Scott McTominay too.
Manchester United have already told Fiorentina that they won’t trigger the buy-clause in the loan deal for Amrabat, although they remain interested in doing a deal that could bring him back to Old Trafford.
World Class Zubimendi can be Old Trafford Difference Maker
Erik ten Hag needs midfield upgrades
The 2023/24 season saw Manchester United battle with a lot of injury problems but midfield is an area that hugely underperformed for the most part.
Mason Mount is fit again and will want to make an impact, but Casemiro looks likely to move on from Old Trafford and that defensive position will need to be filled by Ten Hag with Mainoo earning a starting spot since coming into the side.
Zubimendi’s performances for Sociedad last season saw Kieran Tierney label him as “world class“, and that type of profile is something that would undoubtedly make the Red Devils a better outfit as they look to get back into the Champions League following a poor campaign last time out.
The price tag is known by everyone too so it’s an easy enough deal to do, but the club are still working through their best options to see what the best deal they can get is.
All statistics courtesy of FBRef.