Barcelona hatch new ploy to sign Martin Zubimendi

Barcelona will reportedly look to offer a player-plus-cash deal to avoid paying €60 million to sign Martin Zubimendi in the summer.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona will look to avoid paying €60 million to land Martin Zubimendi. The Catalan giants are in no position to afford to trigger the Spanish midfielder’s release clause. And they are considering offering a player-plus-cash deal to sign him from Real Sociedad.

Martin Zubimendi has established himself as one of the best young midfielders in La Liga in the last few years. A product of the Real Sociedad academy, the 24-year-old has gone from strength to strength in recent years. He has also made his debut for the Spanish national side.

The Spaniard has turned out 125 times thus far for Real Sociedad, chipping in with four goals and five assists. And Zubimendi’s progress in the last few years have captured the attention of several high-profile clubs, including Barcelona.

Barcelona will look to lay down a succession plan for Sergio Busquets in the coming months. The veteran midfielder is well into his thirties and approaching the end of his glittering career. In addition, the Barcelona captain might depart from Spotify Camp Nou in the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Franck Kessie has not stamped his authority since arriving in a Bosman move last year. So Barcelona will need a midfield reinforcement in the summer transfer window. And Zubimendi has emerged as a viable target. But his release clause, worth €60 million, poses a problem for FC Barcelona.

The Catalan giants are in no position to afford to pay €60 million to secure the Spaniard’s services. And according to the report, Barcelona will look to offer a player-plus-cash deal to sign the 24-year-old. But it is unclear which player the Blaugrana will propose to Real Sociedad to sweeten the pot.

Meanwhile, the Catalan giants face stiff competition from Arsenal in the race to sign Zubimendi. And recent reports have claimed that the Gunners have the edge over Barcelona in this chase. But it will be interesting to see if Barcelona’s makeweight to sign the Spanish midfielder gets the job done in the summer.