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Atlético Madrid and Spain midfielder Álex Baena has expressed his desire to see Arsenal's Martín Zubimendi return to La Liga and link up with him in the Spanish capital, calling him the "second-best defensive midfielder in the world."
Long devoted to his hometown club Real Sociedad, Zubimendi eventually departed San Sebastián to join Mikel Arteta's north London project two summers ago and made an instant impression.
The midfielder, brought in to fill the void left by Jorginho and Thomas Partey in Arsenal's midfield, was considered one of the standout signings of the 2025 summer transfer window midway through his debut season at Emirates Stadium, with Arteta consistently singing his praises.
After netting his first senior career brace in a 3–0 victory over Nottingham Forest in September 2025, Arteta said of his fellow Spaniard: "Martín is bringing such a presence, composure and understanding of the game that makes the team flow and play better."
There was a feeling that the composed Zubimendi was helping Arsenal grow as a team, and despite seeing his role diminish toward the end of the campaign, he still racked up 57 appearances across all competitions as the Gunners secured their first league title in 22 years.
Yet rather than building on that promising debut season, Zubimendi has grown increasingly marginal under Arteta, and transfer speculation is beginning to gather momentum.
Álex Baena Wants Atléti to Sign Zubimendi
It was a tough week for Atlético Madrid heading into the international break, as they suffered consecutive home defeats to Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Diego Simeone's side dropped to third in La Liga as a result, sitting five points behind the back-to-back champions at the top.
While much attention remains on Julián Alvarez's performances following his summer controversy, Atléti will soon need to plan for life without long-serving midfielder Koke and determine whether their existing midfield options are sufficient to cover his departure.
One player who apparently has his doubts is Baena, who was asked by Cadena Ser about the possibility of joining forces with compatriot Zubimendi in Madrid.
"I would love for him to come," the former Villarreal star openly admitted, 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 arose due to growing transfer speculation, with Spanish outlets including SPORT indicating Zubimendi could be a winter target for Los Rojiblancos. The Standard reports that while Arsenal have no immediate intention of selling the midfielder, they may be open to negotiations at the right price.
What's Happened to Zubimendi at Arsenal?
Zubimendi was a consistent presence alongside Declan Rice at the beginning of his Arsenal career, but his influence gradually faded as the season progressed.
He finished with well over 4,000 minutes and nearly 60 appearances to his name. Overall, there was a sense that the 27-year-old ran out of steam toward the end of the campaign. It was an extraordinarily demanding season for the Gunners, who also reached the Carabao Cup and Champions League finals, falling short in both.
Zubimendi still earned a place in Luis de la Fuente's World Cup squad, but was unable to displace Player of the Tournament Rodri. He featured for just seven minutes throughout the competition.
Breaking back into Arteta's plans has proven even more difficult for the 27-year-old at the start of Arsenal's title defense, following the club's summer acquisition of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle United. Zubimendi has managed just three Premier League starts, two of which came in the Carabao Cup, accumulating only 100 Premier League minutes across seven outings.
Arteta maintained last week that the Spaniard remains "very important" and pointed to ankle and nose injuries as factors behind his limited playing time. Nevertheless, he appears to have slipped to fourth in Arsenal's midfield pecking order, falling behind Myles Lewis-Skelly among others, and a player of his caliber and reputation back home is unlikely to accept his current situation indefinitely.
The precise reasons behind his reduced role remain difficult to pinpoint.