It’s been relatively quiet on the gossip front in terms of Arsenal’s hunt for a sporting director, but Andoni Zubizaretta made an appearance again this week.

Olympique de Marseille's newly recruited Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) poses with his new jersey flanked by the club's president Jacques Henry Eyraud (R) and sport director Andoni Zubizareta (L) on January 23, 2019 at the Robert-Louis Dreyfus stadium in the southern port city of Marseille. (Photo by Boris HORVAT / AFP)
Olympique de Marseille’s newly recruited Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) poses with his new jersey flanked by the club’s president Jacques Henry Eyraud (R) and sport director Andoni Zubizareta (L) on January 23, 2019 at the Robert-Louis Dreyfus stadium in the southern port city of Marseille. (Photo by Boris HORVAT / AFP)

According to a report in Le10Sport, Andoni Zubizarreta isn’t feeling the love at Marseille where he does not feel ‘sufficiently esteemed’. The problem, it seems, is that he has not been allowed to operate with the freedom he seems to think he was promised.

Arsenal have been linked with the former Barcelona man for a while now and Le10Sport claim his move to Arsenal, or just away from Marseille in general, would represent a ‘real catastrophe’ for the Ligue 1 club as the summer transfer window approaches.

At the start of April, it was claimed by L’Equipe that Zubizarreta was ‘tempted to leave Marseille for Arsenal’ while Arsene Wenger was said to be advising the Kroenkes about the move.

Zubizarreta’s name was one of a few to emerge immediately after Mochi decided he’d rather go back to Spain than come to London.

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Back in March, we saw Roberto Fernandez and Andoni Zubizarreta both linked and according to Maxifoot in France, Arsenal are ‘threatening’ to take him away from Marseille where he is under contract until 2021.

“The sports director Andoni Zubizarreta has become an important member of the project of Olympique de Marseille,” they wrote. “But the Spaniard could have a great opportunity with an interest from Arsenal for his services.”

Olympique de Marseille's newly recruited Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) poses with his new jersey flanked by the club's president Jacques Henry Eyraud (R) and sport director Andoni Zubizareta (L) on January 23, 2019 at the Robert-Louis Dreyfus stadium in the southern port city of Marseille. (Photo by Boris HORVAT / AFP)
Olympique de Marseille’s newly recruited Italian forward Mario Balotelli (C) poses with his new jersey flanked by the club’s president Jacques Henry Eyraud (R) and sport director Andoni Zubizareta (L) on January 23, 2019 at the Robert-Louis Dreyfus stadium in the southern port city of Marseille. (Photo by Boris HORVAT / AFP)

L’Equipe then claimed that the 57-year-old was ‘tempted’ by the thoughts of moving to Arsenal.

“Arriving in October 2016, at the same time as the coach Rudi Garcia, Andoni Zubizarreta could leave Marseille before the famous “Champions project” is successful or shatters,” they write.

190402 lequipe zubizarreta
L’Equipe 2 April 2019

“He also won by the weariness of a club that isn’t going in the right direction, the sporting director of OM, (57) reported, in recent days, of its intentions of starting to close within the club.

“[An] outsider to the post for the Gunners, “Zubi” has become a favourite. He even has several support weight in the former bastion of Arsene Wenger to convince the Kroenke family, Stan and his son Josh, the owners of Arsenal.”

Zubizarreta, a former goalkeeper who played for Athletic Bilbao, Barcelona and Valencia, was once the most capped player in Spain’s history. He also represented them at four World Cups and three Euros.

BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 19: (L-R) FC Barcelona Sport Director Andoni Zubizarreta and Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona pose for the media during a press conference as part of his presentation as new FC Barcelona player at Camp Nou on August 19, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN – AUGUST 19: (L-R) FC Barcelona Sport Director Andoni Zubizarreta and Luis Suarez of FC Barcelona pose for the media during a press conference as part of his presentation as new FC Barcelona player at Camp Nou on August 19, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

He was named as Barcelona’s Director of Football in 2010 but was sacked in 2015 before signing with Marseille towards the end of 2016.

Since his arrival, the Ligue 1 side have signed 20 players including Dimitri Payet (£18m), Valere Fermain (£7.2m), Florian Thauvin (£45m), Morgan Sanson (£22.5m), and Mario Balotelli (£18m).

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