Real Madrid Regret Missing Out on €60m Star After Journalist Calls It a ‘Huge Mistake’ Following Mikel Arteta’s Move
Martin Zubimendi, a Spain international who excels on the international scene and offers his opinion on life at the Gunners, has been advised that Real Madrid should have acquired him before he joined Arsenal during the summer transfer window.
In the summer of 2025, Zubimendi moved from Real Sociedad to Arsenal. The 26-year-old defensive midfielder’s contract with La Real included a €60 million (£52.2 million, $69.7 million) release clause.
However, the Gunners identified him as a top target as early as January 2025 and agreed to spend £60 million (€69 million, $80.1 million) to secure a favourable structural agreement for him.
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Zubimendi had a late change of heart and chose to remain at Sociedad for the 2024–2025 season, despite Liverpool being close to signing him in the summer of 2025.
Real Madrid was also keeping an eye on Zubimendi; according to an ESPN report on June 4, the 26-year-old was being considered by the Spanish and European powerhouses.
According to Defensa Central, a news site focused on Real Madrid, manager Xabi Alonso pushed Real Madrid to sign Zubimendi, but Florentino Perez believed the team didn’t need another midfield player of his calibre.
“That piece from Xabi Alonso’s Madrid would be essential today, in my opinion.”
“It’s a huge mistake that Real Madrid didn’t sign Zubimendi for €60 million (£52.2 million, $69.7 million) after spending €120 million (£104.4 million, $139.5 million) on Camavinga and Tchouameni,” journalist Antonio Romero continued.
This season, Zubimendi has made nine appearances for Arsenal and netted two goals.
Is there anything that Martin Zubimendi regrets about Real Madrid?
Madrid is performing well under Alonso and has a strong midfield, even though they did not sign Zubimendi in the summer of 2025.
Los Blancos have won both of their Champions League games this season and are two points ahead of second-place and reigning champion Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.
Tchouameni has made a name for himself in the Madrid midfield, while Camavinga, who has recovered from injury, is expected to contribute significantly as well.
The truth is that Los Blancos did not need to sign Zubimendi right away, even though he would have been a good addition to Madrid.
Additionally, it appears that Zubimendi was always going to sign with Arsenal after Mikel Arteta, the manager of the Gunners, persuaded him to do so.
“I had watched Arsenal and I liked everything I saw, in terms of passion, youth, and the feeling you got watching them,” Zubimendi said in an interview with The Guardian on October 10.
And when I got a call from Mikel Arteta… He can be incredibly convincing, as you would know if you have ever spoken to him. He’s obsessed with football, obsessed with keeping things under control, and he tries to make sense of every tiny aspect.
“He is very clear about everything, and I thought his proposal was the best.”
Why Zubimendi Chose Arsenal Over Real Madrid: Trust, Clarity, and the Value of Belonging
Arteta’s phone call wasn’t the only factor, but it mattered. Zubimendi didn’t pick Arsenal because of a shiny offer or because of slogans.
He picked it because someone he respected explained, plainly and repeatedly, what his day-to-day life would look like. That matters to players in their mid-20s. It’s when they stop chasing names and start looking for places that fit.
At Sociedad Zubimendi learned the value of consistency. He played in a system that asked questions of him every week and he answered them with position, effort and a habit for simple choices.
That’s the profile Arsenal wanted: a midfielder who makes the obvious pass, closes the obvious space, and does the small things that make others better. In a dressing room heavy with expectation, that sort of reliability is currency.
Real Madrid’s situation is different. They already have marquee midfielders who grab attention and draw headlines.
Adding Zubimendi would have been sensible depth, the kind of signing that smooths rough edges. But clubs like Madrid often balance immediate need against long-term planning, and sometimes the sensible move is the one you never see on the front page.
Perez has always mixed ambition with a brand sense; that can leave very good players available to those hungrier for minutes.
For Zubimendi, the gamble was about opportunity, not status. At Arsenal he knew what he’d be asked to do and that Arteta would trust him about it. That trust matters more than any banner.
It’s why some players leave Spain for England even when the move is not an automatic step up on paper.
The Premier League asks questions differently. It demands intensity and repeatability. Zubimendi’s game answers both.
Timing also matters. A move to Madrid often comes with the expectation of competing for a spot against multiple world-class options. At Arsenal the competition is real, but path is clearer.
Zubimendi gets a platform to be seen every week, to make mistakes and grow from them. For a player whose strengths are subtle, that kind of visibility can be career-defining.
So when the debate turns to whether Madrid missed out, remember what the player wanted. Zubimendi’s decision reads less like a rejection of a giant and more like a careful choice about where he can matter most.
For a player paid to win small battles every match, mattering often matters more than being part of a famous name.
