Barcelona buying time in pursuit of Martin Zubimendi | OneFootball

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Football Today

·29 March 2023

Barcelona buying time in pursuit of Martin Zubimendi

Article image:Barcelona buying time in pursuit of Martin Zubimendi

Runaway La Liga leaders Barcelona have reportedly asked Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi to resist the temptation of moving to the Premier League.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Catalan heavyweights have earmarked the 24-year-old as a perfect long-term replacement for their ageing captain Sergio Busquets.


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Xavi Hernandez has long been monitoring the Spaniard’s progress in San Sebastian, identifying him as one of his top priorities to strengthen his midfield department in the summer.

However, the club’s financial troubles require patience as they cannot afford to meet the player’s €60 million release clause right now, forcing them to play a time game.

Barcelona have approached Zubimendi to ask him to postpone making a decision on his future amid growing interest from several Premier League sides.

While under normal circumstances, the Sociedad starlet would be an instant purchase for the Blaugrana, La Liga’s strict Financial Fair Play regulations have made things awkward for the Camp Nou outfit.

The Catalans are not in a position to pay €60m for Zubimendi before raising funds from player sales, with a host of fringe players set to be sacrificed in the summer to shift the wage burden off the books.

In addition to offloading those already on loan at other clubs, Barcelona will likely have to part with some heavily-paid first-team stars to make room for new signings.

As part of their effort to generate much-needed revenue, Barca could cut ties with Manchester United’s long-term target Frenkie de Jong, while Busquets may also halt his illustrious career at Camp Nou.

Barcelona must sit tight and hope for the best, but they’ve already taken concrete steps to ensure Zubimendi won’t slip through their fingers.

The deep-lying midfielder has been one of Sociedad’s standout performers in La Liga this season, collecting 25 appearances to help the club stay relevant in a battle for European placings.

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