Arsenal Round-Up, Wednesday 11th November: Zubimendi Breaks Silence on January Exit Talk as Timber Panel Verdict Lands
The big story of the day centres on Martin Zubimendi, with a flurry of reports claiming Chelsea and Real Madrid could be ready to battle it out for his signature amid talk of a January departure (Football.London). Spanish outlets have suggested Atletico Madrid are monitoring his situation and that a return to his homeland could be on the cards, but Zubimendi himself addressed the speculation directly in comments to Marca after talks with Mikel Arteta (Evening Standard). ESPN report that the midfielder has flatly denied wanting to leave Arsenal in the window despite the Atletico links (ESPN), while Football.London say he has "set the record straight" on his future and urged caution over the exit claims (Football.London). That hasn't stopped TeamTalk running separate lines claiming Zubimendi is "key" to Arsenal trying to use him to help land a Real Madrid starlet (TeamTalk), and even suggesting he has reached a "final decision" on leaving as the saga "explodes" (TeamTalk) - reports that sit awkwardly alongside his own denial.
Elsewhere in the transfer columns, Arsenal have been credited with interest in two very different Real Madrid players, with BBC Sport naming forward Endrick as a target (BBC Sport) and TeamTalk following up with a report on where things stand regarding a possible move for him in January (TeamTalk). Football.London also report Arsenal have joined the race for Bournemouth's Alex Scott, a deal said to be worth around £100m and one that raises questions over the futures of other players at the club (Football.London). On the outgoing side, Tottenham are reportedly exploring an ambitious offer, potentially including players in exchange, to beat Arsenal to Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi (TeamTalk). Away from speculation, Football.London report Arsenal have confirmed a piece of genuine business, described as an "emergency transfer" (Football.London).
The Timber-Isak incident from Arsenal's trip to Anfield has continued to generate headlines, with BBC Sport reporting that the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled Liverpool should have had a penalty for Jurrien Timber's shirt pull on Alexander Isak (BBC Sport) (Football.London). Sky Sports and the Evening Standard carried similar lines, noting Liverpool were "incorrectly denied" the spot-kick and that VAR Stuart Attwell did not send the incident for review at the time (Evening Standard) (Sky Sports).
On the injury front, Piero Hincapie has clarified his fitness situation following what's been described as a mixed start to the season complicated by a freak accident (Football.London), while the Evening Standard report Ezri Konsa was missing from England training at Tottenham's base, alongside Spurs-to-Inter man Spence (Evening Standard). Viktor Gyokeres has also been in the news, with Sweden boss Graham Potter giving an update on his situation after a stop-start season for the striker at Arsenal (Football.London), and Gyokeres himself responding to critics with what Football.London describe as a three-word message about fighting for his place (Football.London).
In the women's game, Arsenal travel to Camp Nou to face Barcelona in the Women's Champions League, a repeat of the 2025 final which the Gunners won against the odds (Sky Sports) (Arsenal.com). Boss Renee Slegers has warned her side will have to "suffer" to get a result against the Spanish giants (ESPN), and the squad have been put through their paces in training at the famous stadium after touching down on Tuesday (Arsenal.com). Goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez has also been speaking about settling into life at Arsenal ahead of the Barcelona test (Arsenal.com). That Champions League clash on Thursday follows Arsenal Women's 2-1 win away at Liverpool at the weekend, and comes before a WSL game against London City on Sunday (Arsenal.com).
Finally, Football.London note the title race has been thrown into fresh focus after Manchester City were found guilty of 114 of 115 charges following their appeal, leaving Arsenal awaiting clarity on what any sanctions could mean further up the table (Football.London), while a scheduling change to the AFCON has also been flagged as one for Arsenal to watch given its potential squad impact (Football.London).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
