Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi has been deemed the only viable option to reinforce Real Madrid's engine room.

The 27-year-old's future is increasingly becoming a topic of discussion in his native Spain as he has been struggling for minutes since the latter stages of last season.

Zubimendi, signed for €70 million last summer after being pursued by Arsenal for years, was ever-present initially, but the relentless schedule of a team competing on multiple fronts eventually took its toll.

The midfielder lost some sharpness and concentration, which allowed Myles Lewis-Skelly to take his place. The summer arrival of Bruno Guimaraes has only made it more difficult for Zubimendi to get on the pitch for more than just a few minutes at a time.

At the weekend, he was an unused substitute against Leeds. Worryingly, he suffered an injury in a post-match training session and is now at serious risk of being completely left in the dust by Lewis-Skelly and Guimaraes.

Mourinho to request midfield signing

In Spain, there is increasing talk of a possible move to Real Madrid. New Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso wanted to sign Zubimendi for Los Blancos last year, but he had already committed to joining Arsenal.

Despite the departure of Alonso, the interest in the Basque has not disappeared, precisely because Real Madrid still have not found a player who can give them control in the middle of the park. Rodri could have been that player, but he opted to join rivals Barcelona this summer.

Zubimendi is not the type to agitate for a transfer, but he has admitted that it is "not ideal" to constantly be a substitute - for both Arsenal and Spain. It remains to be seen if he could be tempted to push for a January transfer.

Real Madrid don't usually make mid-season signings, but manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly keen to strengthen in midfield. His team have been wholly unconvincing this season and only just about escaped a Champions League disaster against Roma on Wednesday.

They are determined to finally end their trophy drought, so they might just have to amend their January policy. Arsenal would be loathe to lose Zubimendi mid-season, but Real Madrid could be compelled to make a strong push for him.

That's because he seems to be their only viable option for January at this stage. At least that's according to journalist Joaquin Maroto, who believes that the other name frequently associated with Real Madrid, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, can't be signed in the winter.

"Zubimendi is the only midfield signing that fits Real Madrid right now because Adam Wharton can’t come," he said in quotes relayed by Defensa Central. "It’s Mourinho who’s going to request the signing of a midfielder; he’s already talking about it within the club."

Whether Real Madrid will actually sanction Mourinho's wish remains to be seen. However, calls for the club to make a move for Zubimendi are growing in the Spanish press.

Earlier this week, Dani Garrido insisted that the LaLiga giants should enquire about the 27-year-old. "Real Madrid should ask for a price for Zubimendi because he doesn't play at all at Arsenal," he said.