Aston Villa, Liverpool and Arsenal ‘on alert’ as £51.5m target ‘allowed to leave’

Aston Villa are reportedly "on alert" alongside Arsenal and Liverpool in the fight to sign Real Sociedad defensive midfielder Martin Zubimendi this January.

The Villans, despite having Douglas Luiz, John McGinn Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans among their ranks, are eager to add extra depth in the centre of the park. Zubimendi, who was described by Spain manager Luis de la Fuente as "one of the best in the world", would add another dimension to an already impressive Villa midfield.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo reports Villa and Liverpool specifically are keen on signing Zubimendi "at some point", with Sociedad teammate Mikel Merino another being considered. Arsenal, meanwhile, have been heavily linked with Zubimendi ever since last winter.

The Mirror claims Zubimendi has a €60 million (£51.5 million) release clause in his Sociedad contract, meaning he's allowed to leave as long as a club lodges a bid of that value. The report states Arsenal activated the release clause in January 2023 but the Gunners were rejected by the player.

Mikel Arteta's side are expected to try again this month, while Mundo Deportivo alludes to Villa and Liverpool following suit. Whether or not Zubimendi's previous desire to stay at Sociedad remains awaits to be seen but what's for sure is the 24-year-old has plenty of hopeful suitors.

Zubimendi, who was described by The Athletic as the Gen-Z version of Barcelona and Spain icon Sergio Busquets, has racked up 172 Sociedad appearances to date. He also has four senior caps for Spain and is expected to be a key player at this year's UEFA European Championships.