Real Sociedad eyeing star at La Liga rival as potential Martin Zubimendi replacement

Real Sociedad Sporting Director Roberto Olabe must be cursing his luck that he may have to replace both Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi in the same transfer window. They look to have found someone to take on the minutes of the former, but were not expecting Zubimendi to leave.

The 25-year-old Euro 2024-winner is currently mulling over an offer from Liverpool, with the latest that he is edging towards accepting it. Luka Sucic was brought in to replace Merino, and now MD say that if Zubimendi does move on, it will be Valencia’s Pepelu that they move for.

The ex-Levante man moved to Mestalla last summer, but immediately became a tenet of Ruben Baraja’s midfield, balancing out his side. Baraja is loathe to lose his key midfielder, but if La Real put up €25m, then a deal could be agreed for Pepelu, who arrived for a fifth of that price last year. Baraja will do all he can to hold onto him though, and Valencia have already rejected an offer from Borussia Dortmund amounting to €15m.

The Txuri-Urdin have already been in talks over another Valencia midfielder in Javi Guerra this summer, although it looks like those talks calmed since the Sucic signing. Certainly it’s hard to think of too many La Liga-based alternatives that have shown better in the last 12 months than Pepelu. It’s also a role Jon Olasagasti can play, but it would be a major leap of faith from Imanol Alguacil.

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