Arsenal confident of signing Real Madrid midfield target that Xabi Alonso wants

The repercussions of a subpar season at Real Madrid are often serious, and the same appears set to go down in the Spanish capital after the ongoing campaign.

The management is the first department that will be replaced, with Carlo Ancelotti almost certain to face the axe. Xabi Alonso, the Bayer Leverkusen manager, is the best placed candidate to replace him.

With the new coach, however, arrives a new system and a few new profiles to fit the scheme. Rodra, on that front, provides a big update on a Real Madrid target.

Martin Zubimendi could be headed to Arsenal

As relayed by the Spanish journalist, Alonso is asking and pushing for the incorporation of Martin Zubimendi, the Real Sociedad midfielder who Real Madrid have been linked with for a long time now.

The Basque star has, after all, worked closely with Alonso during the manager’s time at the La Real youth team and provides a profile that Real Madrid direly lack in midfield.

Arsenal, Real Madrid battling for Zubimendi. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

There is, however, a major obstacle in that Real Madrid are competing with several Premier League sides for his signing and the finances offered by the English clubs is out of Los Blancos’ reach.

In fact, there are strong rumours that Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal is all but done with sources in England and the Basque city confident that his next destination will be London.

Alonso’s move to Real Madrid gives the team an outside chance, but the player appears to have made his mind.

The Gunners, for their part, are confident of landing the 26-year-old Spanish international, who has a €60 million release clause in his contract.

The coming weeks will be crucial in determining where Zubimendi ends up, and it is safe to say that the interest from the Merengues will at least raise a doubt in his mind. After all, the train to the Valdebebas passes only once.