Liverpool appears to have its sights set on Martin Zubimendi. Having taken the time to assess the squad, Arne Slot has decided he wants a specialist holding midfielder, with the Spaniard targeted — but Paul Scholes thinks the delay may have cost the Reds .
It has been a complicated summer for Liverpool, with new coach Slot tasked with running the rule over the roster despite missing a number of important first-team players due to the Copa America and Euro 2024. Even now, the decision to pursue a number six comes without the Dutchman having had a chance to observe Alexis Mac Allister in match situations.
But Slot has presumably seen enough from Wataru Endo to prompt a decision to recruit. Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai have also been trialed in the deeper role, relatively successfully, but Jurgen Klopp's successor has no intention of getting by with makeshift solutions.
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That's all well and good, but only as long as Liverpool can source a genuine upgrade in the transfer market. The club seems confident Zubimendi is that player, as it pushes to secure an agreement with the Real Sociedad star.
However, Scholes thinks that Liverpool could have found a better option if it had acted sooner. While Slot was put in an awkward position, the former Manchester United midfielder suggests the delay has been costly.
“I think it’s important they add someone solid," Scholes told The Overlap , brought to you by Sky Bet . "In an ideal world, we’ve all talked about Rodri. He’s the best in the world at doing it, but there were actually players they could have gone for.
“You think of the lad at Fulham who went to Bayern Munich, Palhinha. I thought he was brilliant in the World Cup. I thought he was one who could’ve possibly gone to Liverpool, just to sort everything out in the middle of the pitch, make that spine stronger and let the rest of the players play.”
Palhinha has been periodically linked with Liverpool, especially last summer. But under Slot, in particular, it's not clear that the Reds would have been interested.
A traditional destroyer in the mold of someone like Fabinho , the Portugal international averaged the most tackles in the Premier League last season. But Slot wants more of a deep-lying technician, with Zubimendi fitting that brief more convincingly.
At 25, he is also three-and-a-half years younger than Palhinha. So on the whole, Liverpool and Slot are unlikely to regret biding their time.
Liverpool.com says: There's no denying that Liverpool has been playing a slightly dangerous game. The longer it waits, the more ground it loses on rivals who might be chasing the same potential targets.
But there's nobody who has moved so far who looks a more convincing answer for the base of the Liverpool midfield than Zubimendi. He has all of the characteristics that Slot would want, and looks a better fit than Palhinha.
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