Martin Zubimendi will be forced to change his shirt number when he joins Arsenal (Image: GETTY)
Martin Zubimendi will reportedly join at the end of the season, with the Gunners having agreed a deal to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
, with the Gunners set to formally activate the midfielder’s £51million release clause. However, it is said that Real Sociedad have insisted that he stays with them until the end of the campaign.
Zubimendi has been linked with for around 12 months, with rumours of their interest surfacing last January. With their pursuit of his signature nearly over, the north Londoners will now be able to look forward to his arrival in the summer.
It remains to be seen what shirt number he will wear, with several options available for the 25-year-old to choose from. He has been sporting No 4 at Real Sociedad but will need to pick a new number at with Ben White already occupying it.
The midfielder’s usual No 4 shirt is currently occupied by Ben White (Image: GETTY)
The standout choice for Zubimendi would be No 10, which has been vacant since Emile Smith Rowe joined Fulham last year. However, it is usually reserved for an attacking player having previously been worn by Dennis Bergkamp and Mesut Ozil.
Another option would be No 14, the first number Zubimendi wore for Real Sociedad B before graduating to the senior squad. It would carry sentimental value and is available following Eddie Nketiah’s move to Crystal Palace last summer.
For similar reasons, Zubimendi could also decide to wear No 36 having inherited it when he was promoted to Real Sociedad’s first-team squad in 2018.
Other shirt numbers could be made available if certain players leave at the end of the season. Thomas Partey will be out of contract in the summer as things stand, meaning his No 5 jersey could be up for grabs.
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Jorginho finds himself in the same position as Partey, suggesting Zubimendi could inherit the No 20 currently worn by the Italian if he is not offered a new deal. It has been reported that are yet to make a decision on his future.
Zubimendi has been sporting No 6 and No 18 at international level for Spain, but those numbers will be off-limits at with Gabriel Magalhaes and Takehiro Tomiyasu already wearing them.
If the latter is sold or loaned out in the summer, it would give Zubimendi the opportunity to adopt the number he wore at Euro 2024.
Only time will tell which number he is eventually given, with only a few minor details left to be ironed out before his move to the Emirates Stadium is made official.