The £52m Declan Rice backup option who could transform Arsenal’s midfield if Man City hijack deal

Arsenal are said to be considering other options as number one midfield transfer target Declan Rice is believed to now be of serious interest to treble winners Manchester City.

The Gunners have been heavily linked with a move for the England star on several occasions over the last year and have reportedly made three unsuccessful bids in their attempts to persuade West Ham United to allow their star man to make the switch across London.

Should Arsenal miss out on their number one target and opt to still go for Premier League experience, moves for either Brighton and Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo or Fulham star Joao Palhinha would be wise and although both players would command significant fees, they would prove to be less costly than the fees being discussed for Rice.

However, the Gunners could find some value is expanding their search into Europe and beyond. One option seems to be off the table as AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali rapidly closes in on a move to Newcastle United and that deal is expected to be officially concluded later this week.

A well-trodden path from Monaco to north London could be trodden once again if Mikel Arteta opted to move for France international Youssouf Fofana, who has reportedly attracted interest from the Premier League and is said to be on West Ham’s radar as a possible replacement for Rice.

However, one option that could provide the Gunners boss with a number of benefits is a player forging a strong reputation for himself as one of Arteta’s former clubs. Since progressing through Real Sociedad’s youth system, Martin Zubimendi has produced a consistently high level of performance as the Basque outfit have secured three consecutive top six finishes in La Liga, culmnating in their successful push for a Champions League spot last season.

Zubimendi’s form has been integral to their progression and he recently earned a recall to the Spain squad - although he remained an unused subsitute in Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland and the recent Nations League Finals clashes with Italy and Croatia.

Still only 24-years-old, Zubimendi would have the benefit of providing significant experience at a high level after making just under 150 appearances for Real Sociedad, with 18 coming in the Europa League.

The fact Zubimendi is more defensive than Rice - who seems to be developing into a box-to-box midfielder rather than a sitting option that many believe - is no bad thing for Arsenal as his discipline and control in front of the back four would allow Arteta further license to allow his full-backs to make an impact in the final third. His work rate, physical approach and defensive discipline would also allow him to slot in alongside the likes of Jorginho and Martin Odegaard and give his more forward-thinking midfield partners to support the front three, safe in the knowledge their defence is protected should their lose possession and be at danger of being hit with a counter-attack.

Looking at Zubimendi’s statistics from last season - which was without question the best of his career - provides some intriguing findings. His pass completion rate of 85.3% is similar to Rice’s 86.5% and his tackle rate across the middle third and attacking third of the pitch has a higher rate of success than the West Ham man, showing Zubimendi is able to press high up the pitch in the manner encouraged by Arteta.

Zubimendi does not attempt as many ball carries or take-ons that Rice but his average number of touches per 90 minutes (108) falls shy of the England’s star’s return of 123, showing that he is able to retain possession but does not often make an impact in the final third.

Zubimendi did sign a new contract in October last year, committing himself to Sociedad until the end of the 2026/27 season. However, the intricate detail in the agreement would provide Arsenal with some hope as it contains a release clause believed to be worth around £52.5m, under half of what the Gunners are being asked to pay for Rice.

Persuading the midfielder to leave his boyhood club could be the most challenging aspect of any potential deal after he declared his loyalty to Sociedad after putting pen-to-paper on the deal, telling Marca: “I have never said that I want to leave Real – and I do nothing but watch news about it (speculation over my future). It makes me feel uncomfortable. The best thing I can do is stay here. I haven’t even considered leaving. I’m at home, and happy to continue growing here at the club.

“It’s very nice to be at home and be able to compete at the highest level. And it’s very nice to renew (the contract) and see your team-mates also renew because they believe in this project.”

Other clubs are believed to be considering a move for the Sociedad midfielder and he was tentatively linked with Barcelona and Manchester United just before he signed his new contract last season. The latter’s interest is believed to remain very much alive and Barca manager Xavi was generous in his praise of Zubimendi as he embarked on something of a charm offensive last month.

He said: “We must sign a pivot this summer, it's a priority to have a new player there following Busquets' exit," Xavi told reporters during his press conference on Friday afternoon. I consider Zubimendi as an extraordinary pivot, top player - he understands the game very well, he dominates with and without the ball. Zubimendi plays the kind of football that we like here at Barca, it's our style.”

Naturally, as a fellow graduate of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and as a fellow discipline of Manchester City’s treble winning manager Pep Guardiola, Arteta has imposed a similar style on Arsenal to the one Xavi has implemented on Barcelona since he took charge at the Camp Nou in November 2021.

As such, it would be safe to assume Zubimendi would be a good fit for either side’s midfield and Arteta would have to move quickly if he does opt to follow up on reported interest in the 24-year-old during the summer transfer window if he does miss out on Rice. It would be a wise move if they would to do so.