Bayern join Arsenal, Man Utd & Barcelona in race for €60m target

Cameron Smith

7 Nov 2023 20:54 GMT
3 min read

Bayern Munich are the latest team to register their interest in Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi as Thomas Tuchel eyes a new defensive midfielder.

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Portugal international Joao Palhinha was on the verge of joining Bayern during the summer, but Fulham pulled the plug on the move in the dying embers of the window.

As a result, Tuchel was unable to sign his desired new midfielder, which remains a priority for 2024.

With a new No.6 deemed one of Bayern’s most important problems to solve next year, they have now identified Zubimendi as a key transfer target, according to Bild.

The 24-year-old Spaniard has been courted by some of Europe’s top clubs over the past 12 months, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona all interested at various points in the last year.

In fact, FootballTransfers understand that Erik ten Hag sent scouts to watch Zubimendi and his club team-mate Takefusa Kubo during Real Sociedad’s LaLiga match against Mallorca in late October.

We are told that Man Utd now see the defensive midfield position as a priority, with Zubimendi among their targets. This is to compensate for the drop in form of Casemiro, who will be 32 by the end of the season.

© ProShots - Martin Zubimendi, Real Sociedad

What is Martin Zubimendi’s release clause?

Zubimendi currently has a release clause included in his Real Sociedad contract. The value of that release clause is reportedly €60 million.

The Spaniard’s current deal at Real Sociedad isn't set to expire until 2027 after he signed an extension in October 2022.

He has two senior Spain international caps to his name, with the first coming back in 2021. Zubimendi played 53 minutes in a 4-0 win over Lithuania on his national team debut, but had to wait until September 2023 to make his next Spain appearance.

The Real Sociedad star came off the bench in Spain’s 7-1 win over Georgia on September 8, 2023 to earn his second international cap.