In a recent report from Express Daily, it was stated that Manchester United have prepared a £51 million bid for Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad. The Red Devils are set to get busy when the January transfer market opens as they now have an extra £2million-per-month added to their budget after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and Zubimendi could be the first arrival at Old Trafford as Erik Ten Hag adds more depth to the squad.
Zubimendi’s Impressive Campaign With Real Sociedad This Season
Zubimendi has had a brilliant start to this campaign at Reale Arena and has managed to produce a few solid displays for them in the centre of the park. The defensive midfielder has scored one goal and grabbed two assists in 16 matches for the Spanish outfit this season across all fronts.
The 23-year-old has shown immense potential after consistently performing for the Spanish outfit as evidenced by his numbers averaging 1.6 tackles, 0.9 interceptions and 1.7 clearances per game in La Liga. He has also been impressive with his ball distribution after completing 85.4% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
Will The £51 Million Offer From Manchester United Convince Real Sociedad Into Selling Him?
Zubimendi has been a key player for the Spanish outfit as he has a solid presence in the central areas and can transition the ball from defence to offence with ease. His tenacity compensates for the lack of height he needs to dominate his opponents in the air. The defensive midfielder does well to time his tackles and can make some crucial interceptions to win the ball back for his side.
Furthermore, he can proficiently distribute possession to his teammates and keeps his shape defensively to shield the backline. However, he needs to be more productive in the final third if he wishes to play at a high level. The Spaniard mainly operates as a holding midfielder sitting deep but can also serve as a box-to-box midfielder if required.
Real Sociedad have added a £56 million release clause for the youngster but an offer around the region of £51 Million, and an increase in wages should be enough to convince both Zubimendi and his employers.
Erik Ten Hag has done well in identifying him as a potential target as he would definitely add more quality to the midfield while he grows into his full potential being an understudy for Casemio in the same position.
