Liverpool should've predicted Martin Zubimendi transfer decision after Real Sociedad remark

Liverpool is close to losing all hope of signing Martin Zubimendi this summer but perhaps it should have predicted the Spaniard was always going to be just out of reach.

Despite being willing to fork out for his $66million (£51m/€60m) release cause and offering to triple his wages , making him one of the top earners at Anfield in the process, the midfielder's unwavering loyalty to his boyhood club has not been swayed, even with a major financial incentive.

And it is that tight bond with Real Sociedad that appears almost impossible to break. Born in San Sebastian, Zubimendi fulfills the 'local lad' quota and has been with the club since joining the youth ranks in 2011, aged 12.

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He has risen through the club's C and B teams, making 50 appearances for the latter, before eventually graduating into the men's first-team in 2019, whom he has since made 187 appearances for and helped win the 2019-20 Copa Del Rey.

In July 2020, he renewed his contract with the Basque Country club until the summer of 2025, yet this was extended again just two years later following his remarkable rise at La Real, becoming one of its most important players.

The fresh deal, which tied him down until the summer of 2027, ended any speculation of a move to Barcelona , where former Nou Camp boss Xavi had lined him up as Sergio Busquets' long-term successor. In an interview with Carrusel , however, Zubimendi insisted he was never interested in an exit away from the Reale Arena.

Just before the announcement was officially made in October 2022, Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay revealed how well the two get along and hoped that Zubimendi would stay at the club forever. “I hope he can spend his entire career at Real," he told Marca .

Fast forward two years, and it appears history is repeating itself once more. Liverpool has taken Barcelona's place as the interested party, yet Zubimendi appears to be ready to sign yet another new contract extension to all but confirm his dedication to Real Sociedad. This time, the La Liga outfit is willing to make him its highest-paid player and raise the price of his release clause.

In a last-ditch attempt to keep Zubimendi in northern Spain this season, Spanish sources claimed that Real Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil and the rest of La Real's hierarchy were looking to reiterate to the midfielder how good his life is in San Sebastian , according to the Daily Mail .

Born in the area, Zubimendi is understood to have a good nucleus of friends in the northern Spanish city, while he also enjoys walking in the Monte Urgull mountain region that overlooks the Basque region. Furthermore, Alguacil also pointed to the fan reaction if he was to leave the Anoeta Stadium club.

Earlier this summer, in fact, Zubimendi also told Spanish outlet El Diario Vasco that he will be playing at Real Sociedad next season because that's where he has a contract and feels "most comfortable."

Aside from the unquestionable love for his boyhood club and wanting to remain in the city he grew up in, Zubimendi may also lack ambition for a move away. The 25-year-old has just won the European Championship with Spain - does it get any better than that? Winning the World Cup, perhaps.

The point is, it was a career defining achievement for Zubimendi, who played a pivotal role in that Berlin final against England last month. Having enjoyed such huge success, he may no longer have quite the same ambition to go and play for a big club after that.

Instead, he can enjoy another season at his boyhood club, continue to play at a high level in La Liga, and be worshiped by Real Sociedad and its fans - all with a Euro 2024 winners medal hanging around his neck.