Arsenal won their recent match against Everton and are only behind Manchester City on goal difference. The Gunners stand in second place in the Premier League table with 21 points, the same as the Sky Blues. At the same time, the Gunners are facing a tough situation. Martin Zubimendi is struggling for a slot in the regular squad, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by Chelsea. The Gunners have anticipated this situation, and that is why they are simultaneously monitoring the situation of Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf, who is one of the top priorities on the Gunners’ wishlist.
As per CaughtOffside, the Gunners want the French midfielder, whose versatility has drawn the attention of head coach Mikel Arteta. He wants to boost his midfield options ahead of the January transfer window. However, Arsenal are not the only party interested in the 23-year-old. Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have also shown their interest in the French midfielder, who plays in the central midfield position.
🚨 Arsenal and Chelsea are both monitoring Inter Milan midfielder Andy Diouf, with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain also interested in the Frenchman. 🇫🇷 Competition for his signature is growing, with several European giants keeping tabs on his situation. (Source: fussball-news)
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) October 25, 2026
But what is the case with Zubimendi? Why are rumors of his potential transfer growing strong? The defensive midfielder had a great time with the Gunners in the 2025-26 season of the Premier League. He joined the Gunners after being signed from Real Sociedad for an amount of approximately 55.8 million euros. Zubimendi also proved his worth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Spain won the World Cup after more than 16 years. Yet, he is not the top priority for Mikel Arteta in the midfield.
There are multiple reasons behind it. One of them is the emergence of Miles Lewis-Skelly in the midfield, alongside the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes. Guimaraes left Newcastle United in August 2026 after signing a deal worth £75 million with the Gunners. He has proved to be beneficial for the Gunners, especially as a game-changing substitute who is capable of scoring late or winning goals. This is why Zubimendi has been pushed down the order alongside Declan Rice during the current season. Another reason why Zubimendi is struggling to find a place in the main squad is his injury-prone nature. He suffered an ankle injury in early October within days of Piero Hincapie suffering from a similar injury. Zubimendi recovered in time, only to have his nose broken during the previous League match against Everton.
Chelsea are well aware of Zubimendi’s potential, and are now closely monitoring his position ahead of making a potential move for the Spanish midfielder. Xabi Alonso has been an admirer of his skills from the Real Sociedad days [when he coached the B team]. Although he didn’t make an official move previously, Alonso might take a chance with Zubimendi as the head coach of Chelsea. Now all that remains to be seen is whether Arsenal is equally interested in letting Zubimendi go or if they choose to retain him for the next season.
