Atlético Madrid and Spain playmaker Álex Baena is hopeful that Arsenal’s Martín Zubimendi will return to La Liga and join him in the Spanish capital, labeling him the “second-best defensive midfielder in the world.”

Loyal to boyhood club Real Sociedad for so long, Zubimendi finally left San Sebastián in favor of Mikel Arteta’s north London project two summers ago and was an immediate hit.

The midfielder, signed to mitigate the departures of Jorginho and Thomas Partey in Arsenal’s engine room, was regarded as one of the signings of the 2025 summer transfer window midway through his first season at Emirates Stadium, with Arteta often full of praise.

After he scored the first brace of his senior career in a 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest in September 2025, Arteta said of his countryman: “Martín is bringing such a presence, composure and understanding of the game that makes the team flow and play better.”

There was a sense that the cultured Zubimendi was helping Arsenal evolve, and although his role was reduced down the stretch, he still ended the season with 57 appearances across all competitions as the Gunners claimed their first league title in 22 years.

But instead on building on last season’s strong start, Zubimendi has merely become more peripheral under Arteta, and the transfer rumor mills are starting to churn.

Álex Baena Wants Atléti to Sign Zubimendi

It was a difficult week for Atlético Madrid ahead of the international break, as they lost back-to-back games to Bayern Munich and Barcelona on home soil. Diego Simeone’s side slipped down to third in La Liga as a result, and are five points off the back-to-back champions at the summit.

While much continues to be made of Julián Alvarez’s form after his summer debacle, Atléti will soon need to consider a world without stalwart Koke in midfield and decide whether their current stock of midfield options is enough to compensate his absence.

One man who seemingly doesn’t believe so is Baena, who was asked by Cadena Ser about the prospect of teaming up with compatriot Zubimendi in Madrid.

“I would love for him to come,” the former Villarreal star candidly responded, via AS. “He is the second-best defensive midfielder in the world after Rodri. I hope he can come. He would be a great addition to the team and the dressing room.”

The question was posed to him due to the emerging transfer links, with Spanish outlets such as SPORT suggesting Zubimendi could be a winter target for Los Rojiblancos. The Standard reports that while Arsenal aren’t actively looking to sell the midfielder this summer, they could be persuaded for the right price.

What’s Happened to Zubimendi at Arsenal?

Zubimendi was an permanent presence alongside Declan Rice at the start of his Arsenal career, but he gradually waned in prominence as the season wore on.

He’d end with well over 4,000 minutes to his name and almost 60 appearances. On the whole, there was a sense that the 27-year-old tired late in the campaign. It was an incredibly taxing season for the Gunners, who also reached the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals, losing both.

Zubimendi still made Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup roster, but couldn’t displace Player of the Tournament Rodri. He played just seven minutes at the tournament as a result.

It’s become even harder for the 27-year-old to work his way back into Arteta’s plans at the start of Arsenal’s title defense, with the club signing Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United in the summer. Zubimendi has been limited to three Premier League starts, two of which were in the Carabao Cup. He’s played just 100 Premier League minutes across seven appearances.

Arteta insisted last week the Spaniard remains “very important” and that misfortune of ankle and nose injuries has contributed to his lack of minutes. However, he’s seemingly slipped to fourth in Arsenal’s midfield depth chart, also behind Myles Lewis-Skelly, and a player of his standing, with such a lofty reputation back home, is unlikely to tolerate his current situation for much longer.

Why exactly he’s been phased out is hard to discern.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Outcast Martin Zubimendi Offered Transfer Appeal by World Cup Winner.