FC Barcelona target and current Real Sociedad player Martín Zubimendi has been hailed by Xavi Hernandez as the perfect replacement for Sergio Busquets. The central defensive midfielder’s profile, style of play, and qualities are determined by Barcelona as being quite alike to those of Busquets.
Despite him being a brilliant sporting fit for the club and carrying the approval of Xavi and his staff, the economic requirements behind pulling off his transfer make him more or less an impossible dream for the Catalans at the moment.
The player has been linked to Barcelona even prior to last year when his contract was near expiry in 2022. Yet, as Barcelona were certain they would be able to land the player should he become a free agent, Zubimendi ended up renewing with Real Sociedad until 2027.
Martín Zubimendi’s release clause:
The player does maintain his previous release clause of €60 million, and while it does remain a figure lower than what Real Sociedad would directly demand upon any transfer inquests or queries by clubs given that La Real do not want to sell the midfielder either way, the amount is still practically an impossibility for FC Barcelona.
Zubimendi is understood to currently being willing to wait a little while longer for Barcelona according to Mundo Deportivo, but the player also simultaneously generates interest from the English Premier League. The English league seems to be a goal of Zubimendi’s as well, but those within Barcelona believe he would rather continue in La Liga should the adequate opportunity present itself.
The priorities of Barcelona:
As of right now, Barcelona primarily prioritizes the registration of the new contracts signed by Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, and Marcos Alonso before making any advancements in the external transfer market. Only upon the successful registration of said players will the Catalan club pursue other transfer targets.
Out of these transfer targets, Martín Zubimendi remains one but is arguably a much more improbable acquisition as compared to other cases who are much more economically viable for the Catalan club.
Despite the difficulties, Xavi continues to insist upon the signing of the Sociedad player and maintains his stance on him being the perfect candidate for the pivot role. While not really an achievable target right now, should the right economic conditions line up and the required funds be accessible to FC Barcelona, Zubimendi would be a top priority for both the club and the manager.
