It's a Free Transfer: 5 Reasons Why Madrid Wants Zubimendi for 2025

Real Madrid has chosen a man for the midfield. After Toni Kroos's 'retirement,' Carlo Ancelotti has faced certain problems in the midfield line. The team hasn't dominated games and misses the legendary German '8'.

That man is Martín Zubimendi. The player is highly regarded in Madrid, where he's compared to Xabi Alonso, who wore the white jersey between 2009 and 2014 and now manages Leverkusen. Although he's in the running to be Ancelotti's successor on Santiago Bernabéu bench.

Zubimendi intends to leave Anoeta in the 2025 summer, according to The Athletic a few weeks ago. The player already rejected an offer this summer from Liverpool and could be on Manchester City's radar to replace Rodri Hernández, currently injured after a serious knee incident.

Madrid will have to decide what to do, and time is pressing. Florentino may rely on the good institutional relations that exist between the clubs, which have closed some important deals in recent years (Illarramendi, Theo Hernández…).

Five reasons that are enough

According to 'Marca,' Madrid is very clear that Zubimendi is one of the best options to strengthen the midfield. The club would argue five convincing reasons that would be supported by the technical staff.

The most advantageous, without a doubt, is the player's age. Martín is 25—he'll turn 26 in February—so he would arrive at a very good age. The 'txuri-urdin' would bring depth and quality to Madrid's midfield, which is somewhat stagnant.

Additionally, the release clause is 'only' 60 million euros, an amount that didn't change after the salary increase given to the player this summer. Madrid also likes that Zubimendi is Spanish, recovering a certain essence and identity of Madridismo in 'La Roja,' and, lastly—and not least importantly—he shares an agent with Xabi Alonso, who is Iñaki Ibáñez, a former Osasuna and Valencia player.