Arsenal will go in very strongly for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi this summer, according to reports.

Fabrizio Romano reports that three clubs will go in very strongly for Martin Zubimendi this summer, with Arsenal one of them.

Romano writes that the Gunners will sign an “important” midfielder in the summer, and Zubimendi is “super appreciated” by Mikel Arteta.

But the other clubs in the race are two of Europe’s footballing giants, with Bayern Munich chasing a player of Zubimendi’s profile and Barcelona also keen on him.

One positive for Arsenal is that Barcelona’s Financial Fair Play situation is uncertain, so they may not have the money to spend.

Ryan Taylor reports for the Mirror that Arsenal, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich are indeed in for Zubimendi, with Bayern chief Christoph Freund recently meeting with the player to push him in their direction.

All three clubs are reportedly laying the groundwork for a summer deal, with Real Sociedad making it clear they’ll only sell for his €60m (£51.3m) release clause.

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.