Martin Zubimendi, the Euro 2024 winner, was on Liverpool's radar as it sought to strengthen its midfield. However, a heart-to-heart with Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil, who reminded him of his roots and the life he enjoys in Spain, seems to have swayed his decision .
Initially, Arsenal was said to be interested in Zubimendi, but its attention has since shifted to his teammate Mikel Merino. This left Liverpool as the frontrunner for his signature, with Richard Hughes confident that the player had given his assent to become the first signing of the Arne Slot era.
However, earlier this week, it was confirmed that Zubimendi would be staying put at La Liga side Real Sociedad, where he has spent his entire career to date. The club, eager to retain its academy product, highlighted the lifestyle changes he would face if he moved to Anfield .
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Alguacil and Zubimendi had several meetings, during which the manager appealed to the player's emotional side. He talked about the quality of life Zubimendi currently enjoys in San Sebastian, including his love for hiking in the Ulia Mountain range and his fondness for Basque cuisine.
Zubimendi was also reminded of a promise he made on Spanish TV after the Euros, vowing to stay at Anoeta, according to the Daily Mail .
The Spanish club's insistence on the buyout clause being met was a significant factor. Liverpool would have had to fork out $65m (£51m/€60m) to secure the midfielder, with no room for negotiation — and Zubimendi would have had to trigger it himself , a formal process that is usually circumvented through agreement between clubs.
Real Sociedad, having already lost Euros winner Robin Le Normand, was keen to prevent a mass departure. And it seemingly hit all the right notes in convincing a player who has already rejected both Arsenal and Bayern Munich in the past.
This is not a new scenario for Liverpool, who has missed out on its preferred midfield targets for several summers. Rewind 12 months and it made a record-breaking British bid for Moises Caicedo, only for him to choose Chelsea instead.
In the same transfer window, Romeo Lavia, then at Southampton, was also on Liverpool's radar but he too chose Blue over Red. Two years ago, Jurgen Klopp , in his quest to refresh the squad, pursued French star Aurelien Tchouameni, who was impressing at Monaco.
However, it was Real Madrid who emerged victorious, outbidding Liverpool with a deal potentially rising to around $109m (£85m/€99m). Tchouameni has since won the Champions League with Los Blancos, justifying his hefty price tag, while Liverpool continues its search for a midfield linchpin — and is seemingly prepared to wait yet another year.
Liverpool.com says: It's a bad look for Liverpool. It spent the lead-up to the summer getting its new-look recruitment structure in place, but the end result has been all-too-familiar disappointment.
Hughes thought he had Zubimendi's word, but he must have known this was a player who had repeatedly rejected tempting overtures in order to stay in the Basque Country. Iron-clad guarantees should have been sought before this became public.
But the bigger issue is the apparent lack of alternatives. Liverpool is branding it "opportunism", but if there are no sufficiently tempting opportunities, it will end the summer as the only side to have made no additions. That's far from ideal.
This article was created with the help of an AI tool.
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