According to Daily Sports, Real Madrid has begun planning their winter transfer window recruitment to address the lack of creativity in midfield, with Arsenal's Zubimendi emerging as a potential target.

Real Madrid is now paying the price for letting Rodri slip away. While their main La Liga rivals have thrived with the top midfielder, Los Blancos' midfield has struggled—a reality laid bare in their recent match against Inter Milan. The team lacks a central midfielder of the same caliber as the Barcelona player.

Mourinho's side cannot control the tempo of play, and their attacking approach relies on quick transitions, allowing Vinícius, Mbappé, or Bellingham to finish in the final third. However, opponents have been able to regain possession and create goalscoring opportunities, with Courtois repeatedly rescuing the team from danger.

At that time, Real Madrid preferred to focus on more attacking-minded players, such as Bernardo Silva, whom Barcelona rejected, while continuing to rely on Tchouaméni, Valverde, and Camavinga as midfield organizers—though they lack Rodri's talent. Creativity remains an unfinished task for Mourinho's side. Güler or Arnold could serve as emergency solutions, but these options fall far short of the contribution that the Barcelona player provided.

As a result, Los Blancos are beginning to move toward the winter transfer window. In this window, they may fill the gap with a name that already emerged in the summer: Zubimendi, who could prove to be a smart market opportunity.

England has shown this is possible, as the Basque midfielder has gradually lost his starting position at Arsenal. In five official matches for The Gunners this season, he has come off the bench each time. Notably, in the crucial Champions League match against Napoli, he was on the bench and played only 8 minutes.

Zubimendi began losing his starting spot from the end of last season. For example, in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, he was also on the bench, entering only in extra time. Despite consistently demonstrating good performances, Arteta prefers using other players in that position, which may be affecting his morale.

Real Madrid highly values him and has also appreciated his performances for Spain's national team. When Rodri suffered a serious injury, Zubimendi took over midfield duties for Spain. He has done the same in critical moments, such as the second half of the Euro 2024 final or extra time in the 2026 World Cup. He is a reliable player, and while Real Madrid hesitated in the summer, they may make the move now.

Arsenal paid 70 million euros for him last season and contracted him until 2030. His current market value is around the same figure. Arsenal would recoup its investment, and this fee is not prohibitive for Real Madrid. However, Zubimendi also has other suitors, such as Chelsea, managed by Ancelotti, who is also considering him in his plans for Real Madrid's team rebuild—though Florentino did not pursue him then.

In fact, Real Madrid has not completed the midfield generational transition following Kroos' retirement and Modric's move to AC Milan. These two players previously provided sophisticated offensive organization for the team, a quality that has since been lost. Mourinho is attempting to build a resilient team and compensate for midfield deficiencies with quick counterattacks relying on the speed of star forwards. This style of play may not be sufficient for them to compete directly with Barcelona.

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