Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi has admitted he is less than happy with his status and minutes – particularly for Spain – at this moment in time.
The 27-year-old is a part of Luis de La Fuente’s squad for this international break. They’ve already taken on Croatia and England, before taking on Czech Republic on October 3rd and Croatia three days later.
The Arsenal midfielder spent the 3-2 win over England sat on the bench, before playing 72 minutes in the 4-1 win over Croatia.
But he has largely had to content himself with a back up role for his nation. Indeed, he spent the entirety of the World Cup sat on the bench as Rodri shined, before then playing 21 minutes in the win over Argentina in the final.
Not complaining yet
He’s not complaining just yet. In fact, he shows no hesitation in accepting his secondary role int eh squad at this moment in time.
“Obviously, it’s not ideal – we all like to be key players; everyone has a bit of an ego and wants to play,” he admitted in an interview with RTVE, relayed by Cadena SER.
“I’m not naive; I understand the context I’m in. I’m with the best national team in the world, with the best defensive midfielder in the world ahead of me,” he added – without explicitly naming Rodri.
Real Madrid links
Either way, it’s clear that while he’s not upset just yet, he knows there is perhaps a need for more from him – at Arsenal in particular – if he is to be starting for Spain.
That leads to the question of whether he can push through at the Emirates. Midfield competition there is equally fierce, with Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, Martin Odegaard and perhaps even Mikel Merino ahead of him in the pecking order.
That is perhaps why a transfer to Real Madrid has been pushed in Spain in recent weeks. They, of course, missed out on Rodri to Barcelona in the summer. The hunt for a player in that position is ongoing, particularly with questions hanging over Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni under Jose Mourinho.
A move to the Santiago Bernabeu could offer Zubimendi the status and playing time that could perhaps convince Spain to give him his chance. And perhaps that is pushing the recent reports in Spain.
