Arsenal star close to bombshell January exit after ‘friction’ with Mikel Arteta: report
Arsenal are on the cusp of losing a major star this January.
The Gunners enjoyed a solid if not spectacular summer transfer window, bringing in Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis to add quality and depth to a title-winning side.
But with competition fierce for places, it appears that one Arsenal player is set to leave to seek game time elsewhere.
Arsenal are flying at the top of the table – but not everyone is content
Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League table, five points clear, unbeaten in the Champions League, and have only lost twice in all competitions this season.
But not everyone is happy with their role in N5, and now, RNE Deportes originally broke the news of a departure, with further updated relayed in a report by Sport Witness.
Martin Zubimendi is on the cusp of leaving for Atletico Madrid, as per Relevo, with his relationship with Arteta said to be “cold”, following “friction towards the end of last season”.
Another Spanish outlet, AS, adds that Arsenal need to sell, and would like to recoup the £50 million they spent on the Basque midfielder.
Zubimendi only moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2025, with the Gunners beating a host of rivals for his signature after a star turn in the Euro 2024 final.
The 27-year-old became an instant hit alongside Declan Rice in Arteta’s engine room, providing the progression and anticipation that the side had missed in that area of the pitch, becoming almost ever-present in the first half of Arsenal’s title-winning season.
But as the season neared the run-in, Zubimendi found himself dropped in favour of Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and didn’t start the Champions League final – with Arsenal upgrading in the summer to sign Bruno Guimaraes.
Zubimendi has not started a single league game in midfield for Arsenal this term, finding himself fourth in the pecking order in midfield.
FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal would rather not sell the World Cup winner this January and would prefer to wait until the summer to assess the situation further.
Zubimendi is worth €65m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal travel away to Newcastle United when Premier League action resumes after the international break.
