Atlético Madrid show interest in Arsenal midfielder Martín Zubimendi

Atlético MadridReal MadridLaLiga · Spain have been reported as one of the main clubs showing an interest in ArsenalArsenalPremier League · England midfielder Martín Zubimendi, in speculation published on 10 November 2026 that also names Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino as players who could leave the club. Neither Arsenal nor Atlético Madrid has confirmed any approach, and no fee, contract term or timetable has been disclosed. The story rests on reported interest rather than an agreed deal.

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What is reported about Zubimendi

The claim is that Atlético are among the most prominent of the sides looking at the Arsenal midfielder. That is the extent of it: there is no suggestion of a bid, no indication of what Arsenal would want for him, and nothing on how Zubimendi himself views a move.

Zubimendi is an Arsenal player, and until the club says otherwise he remains one. Interest from a side of Atlético's standing is the opening of a story rather than a conclusion to one, and enquiries of this kind frequently come to nothing.

Gyökeres and Merino also named

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

The same speculation puts Viktor Gyökeres and Mikel Merino in a similar position, describing both as players who could depart. No prospective buyer is identified for either, and there is no detail on whether Arsenal would resist a sale, encourage one, or set a valuation.

Three names in one report should not be read as a plan. Clubs rarely lose three senior players in a single window, and nothing in the public record establishes that Arsenal are willing to lose any of them.

Why the Atlético link matters

Ank Kumar · CC BY-SA 4.0

Analysis: the significance lies in the direction of travel. Atlético recruiting directly from Arsenal's midfield would say something about how the Spanish club intend to rebuild, and about how Arsenal judge the depth of a squad they have spent years assembling. A mid-season link also invites the question of timing — with the season in progress, any business would fall in a later window, leaving both clubs to manage a distraction they did not create.

What has not been said

• Arsenal have not commented on the reported interest in Zubimendi.
• Atlético Madrid have not confirmed that they are pursuing him.
• No transfer fee, valuation or payment structure has been reported.
• The length of Zubimendi's contract, and whether it contains a release clause, has not been disclosed.
• No club has been named as a possible destination for Gyökeres or Merino.
• No date has been given for a bid, a medical or any other stage of a deal.

What happens next

The next meaningful development would be a formal approach, a valuation set by Arsenal, or a public statement from either club. Until one of those arrives, the position is unchanged: Zubimendi, Gyökeres and Merino are Arsenal players, and Atlético's interest in one of them is reported rather than established. Asked directly about any of the three, both clubs have so far said nothing.