Martin Zubimendi set to join Premier League club in £51m deal

This is a major coup!

The 25-year-old has been at the centre of transfer speculation following his performances at Real Sociedad.

He had been linked with a move to Liverpool back in the summer but they failed in their pursuit of the Spanish international.

According to the Daily Mail, Zubimendi is on the verge of completing a move to Arsenal, who will formally trigger the player's £51m release clause.

It is said the midfielder has been courted by Mikel Arteta for over 12 months with talks now being at an advanced stage.

The Gunners would like him to join immediately but Sociedad have insisted the player stays until the end of the season.

It comes as Jorginho and Thomas Partey are both out of contract at the end of the season.

Manchester City had also expressed an interest in Zubimendi after their star player, Rodri suffered a season-ending injury which was the catalyst that disrupted the current Champions form.

Zubimendi is viewed as one of the leading midfield talents in European football and is a key player for Spain.

It would be a major coup for Arsenal and Arteta given the player’s growing reputation and interest from top clubs.

With this deal all but secure, attention will turn to strengthening their front line as they find a solution to their growing injury list.

Arteta said: "We are actively looking in the market to improve the squad. That’s been like that since day one.

"It would be naive not to do that. It’s an opportunity to improve the squad. We are looking. We are trying. Let’s see what we can do."