In a recent interview (via Sport), Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi revealed, “It makes me happy that Busquets and Xavi talk about me.”
Zubimendi is currently preparing to take over Sergio Busquets’ duties for the Spanish national team. He has expressed his happiness while on international duty during this international break.
As of 23 March 2023, the 24-year-old has scored one goal and picked up three assists in 33 matches for the Spanish outfit this season across all competitions. Zubimendi has given a good account of himself at the centre of the park based on his average of 1.6 tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has also been quite accurate with his ball distribution as he has made 84.4% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
His current deal with Real Sociedad will run out in the summer of 2027. Thus, it would take a big fee for Barcelona to arrange a move for him at the end of this campaign.
What Does Martin Zubimendi Offer On The Field?
Zubimendi can get stuck in with some solid tackles to make life tough for the opposition in the middle of the park. He can sense the danger quickly to secure the ball back for his side and doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when required.
The Spanish sensation is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also fill in as a box-to-box midfielder if his manager asks him to do so.
The way Zubimendi plays, it is only natural for everyone to see him as an ideal replacement for Sergio Busquets in Spain’s national team. At 24, he has already begun to show what he is capable of and has firmly established himself amongst the best defensive midfielders in La Liga.
Zubimendi clearly has a lot of respect for Barcelona‘s Sergio Busquets and Xavi. Maybe, the Catalan club should consider launching a move for him in the future as he would be the perfect option to succeed Busquets at the Nou Camp in the long run. However, Zubimendi has to find a way to be more effective with the ball at his feet if he wants to be a success story at a top club like Barcelona someday.
