Fabrizio Romano has delivered a rather interesting update on Liverpool’s pursuit of Martin Zubimendi on Monday evening.
Reports from Spain on Monday had indicated that the Reds have demanded a final answer from the Real Sociedad midfielder by Wednesday, although the Italian transfer guru contradicted those claims.
Speaking on his eponymous YouTube channel, he stated: “Liverpool’s priority is Zubimendi. Liverpool this week want to resolve the story for Martin Zubimendi. There is no formal deadline, but Liverpool will not wait forever obviously, so [it’s a] work in progress. Liverpool are pushing on the player side.”
Romano added that LFC are determined to pay whatever it takes to land the 25-year-old, adding: “The crucial point is that Liverpool are prepared to pay whatever Real Sociedad want, the release clause, more than this but to have better payment terms, so an agreement between clubs will be OK. It’s on Zubimendi to decide. Liverpool are waiting. Liverpool are absolutely still there.”
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He also clarified the process of how release clauses are triggered in LaLiga: “This is how it works in Spain. When a player leaves a club in Spain, the release clause is triggered by the player paying the release clause, not the club.
“Formally the club is giving money to the player, his agents, his consultants, and the player is formally paying the release clause in the LaLiga offices in Madrid. This is always what happens in Spain.”
Deadline or no deadline, Liverpool are clearly determined to get Zubimendi to Anfield sooner rather than later, and at this stage it definitely seems that the decision rests with the 25-year-old more than the two clubs involved.
Having put £111m on the table to try and sign Moises Caicedo this time last year before Chelsea threw a spanner in the works, we imagine that the Reds wouldn’t have any reservations about stumping up roughly half that amount for a midfielder who’s evidently their top target this month.
The £22.5m cash injection from Fabio Carvalho’s sale to Brentford should make it easier again to satisfy La Real’s demands regarding a price for the Spain international, so hopefully we’ll see the deal being done this week, if the man at the epicentre of the saga is keen on coming to Merseyside.
You can view Romano’s update on Zubimendi below (from 4:52), via Fabrizio Romano on YouTube: