Real Madrid plot January loan Of Zubimendi to Arsenal
In the quiet of the Spain national‑team training camp, midfielder Martín Zubimendi watches his compatriots drill, unaware that Real Madrid are finalising a January loan move that would see him join Arsenal under José Mourinho, with a purchase option to be decided in June.
Loan terms and decision timeline
Real Madrid intend to send Zubimendi to Arsenal on a loan starting in January, with an optional purchase clause that does not bind the Spanish club to a permanent transfer. The final decision on whether Arsenal will exercise the option is slated for June, allowing the player’s future to be settled at the end of the season.
The proposal flips the order of the earlier swap talks, putting the loan and optional buy‑out at the centre of negotiations rather than a straight exchange of players.
Why the deal resurfaces now
On 20 September, Arsenal had suggested a loan swap that would have taken Rodrygo to the Emirates and sent Zubimendi to the Bernabéu until June. Two weeks later, Real Madrid reversed the approach, offering its own loan formula and keeping the ultimate decision for the season’s close.
The summer attempt stalled because Madrid needed to free a squad spot for Eduardo Camavinga, who refused to leave, while Arsenal valued Zubimendi at more than €90 million, making the deal financially complex.
At Arsenal, Zubimendi has made five bench appearances in the Premier League, averaging just 17 minutes per match, and has even been trialled as a full‑back by Mikel Arteta. The arrival of Bruno Guimarães and competition from Myles Lewis‑Skelly and Declan Rice have limited his chances in the midfield pivot.
Having arrived from Real Sociedad on a contract that runs until June 2030, any departure requires Arsenal’s consent. Zubimendi must decide whether to accept a mid‑season loan for a player once valued above €90 million, and if no agreement is reached for January, the move will be deferred to the following summer when the player has already signalled he will reassess his situation.