Arsenal ready to blow Liverpool out of the water with lucrative contract for dream Arteta signing

Arsenal are prepared to double the wages of one of their top targets which could give them an edge over Liverpool in the hunt for a top La Liga star.

The Gunners seem to be gearing up for a busy summer transfer window as Mikel Arteta will be keen to bolster his squad once again.

Of the positions that Arsenal are looking to strengthen, another holding midfielder is high up on the agenda. With Thomas Partey facing an uncertain future in north London, the club are keen to secure his long-term replacement.

Plenty of names have been linked with the Gunners, but Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is a name who continues to be linked with Arteta’s side.

The Spanish midfielder has an excellent reputation in La Liga and it’s no wonder that Arsenal are keen. He’s 25 years old and already has plenty of experience under his belt for Real Sociedad.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal plan to offer Zubimendi a five-year contract with a weekly salary of £115,000. For context, this is double the amount he is currently earning in Spain.

The Spanish midfielder is under contract with Sociedad until 2027, although there is a €60m release clause within his deal which Arsenal seem prepared to trigger.

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Arsenal face competition

The same report also mentions that the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are keeping tabs on the 25-year-old star.

Zubimendi is a well-rounded player who often plays at the base of midfield in either a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 formation. Given his desirable skill set and relatively cheap release clause, it’s no surprise that so many sides are interested in him.

Back in February, transfer journalist Dean Jones claimed that Arteta is a ‘big admirer’ of the Sociedad star, although he could be tempted to join Liverpool if Xabi Alonso is the man to replace Jurgen Klopp.

“It would give Zubimendi a big decision to make [if Alonso joins Liverpool],” Jones told Give Me Sport.

“First and foremost, I think the player wants to consider his options carefully and be sure that if he is going to move to the Premier League, it’s the club that fits him.

“He doesn’t want to make a misstep at this stage of his career, from what I understand.

“Obviously, Mikel Arteta is a big admirer of his, and he knows that Arsenal want to sign him. Arteta has his own links to Real Sociedad and the region, so that’s good from an Arsenal perspective.”

From an Arsenal perspective, you can see why a player like Zubimendi would be of interest. Declan Rice has had a superb impact since arriving from West Ham, but he’s been playing in a more advanced role of late with Jorginho playing at the base of midfield.

A potential midfield trio of Rice, Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard sounds like a scary prospect on paper. Although with plenty of clubs interested, they will have to battle hard for his signature.

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