Arsenal want a midfielder in the summer transfer window and €60m Martin Zubimendi is high on Mikel Arteta’s shortlist, according to a report.

Fabrizio Romano reports for the Here We Go podcast that Arsenal want to sign a new midfielder this summer.

Arsenal reportedly appreciate Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad, and Mikel Arteta is described as a “big fan” of the player. Romano confirms that the midfielder will still have a €60m (£51.4m) release clause in his deal in the upcoming window.

But it may not be a completely straightforward saga, with Romano adding that Bayern Munich are also interested in the signing.

This isn’t the first time Romano has reported on Arsenal’s interest in Zubimendi, and he previously claimed the Gunners were one of three clubs that would go in for the player very strongly this summer.

The other two were Bayern and Barcelona, though Barcelona’s uncertain Financial Fair Play situation made them somewhat less of a contender.

Christian Falk of BILD recently reported that Zubimendi is Bayern’s top target for a summer transfer, but they’ve heard that Mikel Arteta is already talking to the player too.

Bayern were reportedly very sure they’d lead the race for Zubimendi this summer, but they’re now afraid of Arsenal hijacking the transfer.

Zubimendi was never likely to move in the January transfer window, as he was keen to see out the season with Real Sociedad.

The player’s commitment to his current club has long been touted as the reason he hasn’t moved on earlier, given his relatively affordable release clause.

David Ornstein recently reported for The Athletic that Arsenal explored the idea of signing Zubimendi 12 months ago, and their interest in him remains strong.