Chelsea will begin their Premier League campaign in two weeks from now with a clash against Fulham, but the future of one of their most important players from recent seasons, Enzo Fernandez, remains doubtful.
With the Argentine international expressing a desire to depart Stamford Bridge at the end of last season, no new suitor has emerged so far but there remains a likelihood that he switches pastures at some point in the ongoing transfer window.
On that note, Mundo Deportivo has reported that Chelsea are keen on signing Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who could be available for a transfer this month after the Gunners acquired Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
Xabi Alonso is especially insistent on Zubimendi’s purchase, as per the source, having also requested Real Madrid to bring him in last summer. The Spaniard is coming into 2026/27 off the back of a World Cup win and has a £64 million valuation.
Excellent signing for the Blues
Regardless of Enzo Fernandez’s future at Chelsea, the Blues require a deeper-lying midfielder following Andrey Santos’ sale to Manchester United. Romeo Lavia, one of their promising options in the engine room, has a very inconsistent fitness record.
Martin Zubimendi was key to Arsenal’s title-winning campaign last year in a deeper-lying role beside Declan Rice in midfield, with his press resistance, forward passing and vision to break the opposition’s lines proving handy over the course of the season.
Defensively, Zubimendi is strong aerially and marks his man well, alongside being an asset in a coordinated pressing system without the ball – a tactic that Xabi Alonso is expected to rely on at Chelsea when playing without possession.
Arsenal signed Zubimendi only last year and while they may be open to his sale after acquiring Bruno Guimaraes, it remains to be seen if the former Real Sociedad star is prepared for such an early change in pastures, especially if that means joining a club that is not participating in next season’s Champions League.
