Why Zubimendi rejected Liverpool after breaking his word with Richard Hughes

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Spain's midfielder #18 Martin Zubimendi addresses a press conference at the team base camp in Donaueschingen, on June 18, 2024, during the UEFA Euro 2024 football Championship. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo by LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)

Liverpool’s hopes of landing Martin Zubimendi this summer have been dealt a fatal blow.

The Spaniard international has now gone back on his words to the Reds and sporting director Richard Hughes after reportedly indicating his desire for a move to Anfield.

Fabrizio Romano reports on X (formerly Twitter) that the Spaniard’s ‘unconditional love’ for Real Sociedad was a decisive factor. The footballer is now set remain with a potential new deal set to be signed.

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The key question now for the Merseysiders is where will the ongoing search for a No.6 take them next?

READ MORE: Paul Joyce clarifies Liverpool’s Zubimendi deadline as Real Sociedad issue cruel ultimatum

READ MORE: Local Real Sociedad journo drops intriguing Zubimendi update as player interviews axed

Bad timing for Arne Slot ahead of the 2024/25 season

We have to respect the player’s loyalty in an era of football where such a trait is becoming increasingly rare.

That said, we can’t ignore the obvious fact that this is far from ideal for Arne Slot after having likely been given assurances a top-class holding midfielder would be joining the side this summer.

There’s every chance our shortlist yields another talent capable of settling the fresh panic that has set in on social media. However, this is understandably concerning five days ahead of the start of the new season.

A brutal blow for Liverpool and our recruitment team. Though hopefully not a fatal one as far as our hopes of securing an exciting No.6 this summer are concerned.

More updates on our search for a holding midfielder as and when they come!

EOTK Close-up with John Welsh: ‘a local lad who lived his dream’ and Slot’s LFC predictions

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27 Comments

  1. Loyalty? I suppose agreeing unequivocally to join a club then going back on his word could be seen as ‘loyalty’, more like weakness and fear of being tested at a big club. He won’t win much if anything at Sociedad so he had better enjoy his hiking holidays in his beloved mountains.

    1. Stevie G did the same thing. It’s loyalty and whilst I am as gutted as you; you have to admire the fact he turned down 3 times his current salary and a better chance at winning trophies for his home team club

      1. Stevie G turned down Chelsea after winning the champions league so he had already won the big one before Chelsea could win it. Secondly LFC are a bigger club than Chelsea. Real Sociedad cannot will the champions league so the clubs he turned down are bigger and have more chances of winning trophies.

  2. As I commented on your earlier report, if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to join LFC then he wasn’t right for us. He obviously wants to continue to be the star man in a smaller club. Bullet dodged!

      1. The difference is that LFC were in the hunt for trophies / Europe etc not mid table obscurity. The comparison you should have made was with La Tiss who never left Southampton for bigger better things.

    2. I think that’s the point though, he did decide and said he would leave then changed his mind. Sounds as if he’s done this before so , as the saying goes I used to be indecisive but I’m not so sure now. Think it best in the long run he stays where he is , he’s probably scared at the thought of coming to somewhere like us where competition for places and standards are much much higher.

    3. I had doubts about this man anyway. He is below Rodri of Man City in the pecking order for Spain national team. He might not have been the mesiah that LFC was looking for anyway…..he is just the biggest star for a small team. He even has doubts on his own abilities hence the tendency to reject better deals from.big clubs. If you look at all those that rejected LFC last season, they ended up being mediocre players anyway and I dont believe LFC should have even considered paying all those millions for them. LFC must go to South America or Africa to search there. Am sure they will get more than 10 players that can play that No.6 role better than this Zubimendi character!

  3. Embarassing for Richard Hughes though a public pursuit of someone and he fails to get it over the line despite having “good contacts with his agent”.

  4. Je pense que c’est bien fait pour Hughes tu ne peux suivre un joueur aussi talentueux que Ederson depuis le début du mercato,après quelques semaines de la fin tu viens sur un joeur qui a refusé tout le monde.

  6. Apparently he’s known of our interest for 2 weeks. The fact he still hadn’t decided by the weekend was a sure indication that we need to move on. The train (our recruitment team) stayed at that stop for far to long and now it’s going to be too late to get to other destinations.
    Was probably just a PR stunt from FSG. Where is that £110m quid for Caicedo? Instead of strengthening our squad, we’re weakening it.
    Outs: Carvalho, Matip, Thiago
    Ins ⛔️
    Great new recruitment team we’ve got.
    Been sleeping on the job.
    Haven’t made a single signing to help the squad and the season kicks off in 4 days.
    As I said from the outset… our only summer signings were going to be Slot, Hughes & a few other backroom staff. Fu**ing zero initiative or ambition this club.

  7. Say he’ll go to Madrid when alonso get through big job there next season mite get few unwanted cast offs haha looks like the best we can do or wen Chelsea near to cut short some of der big deals sure to fine one or two 24yrs multi millionaires at lose end lol

  8. We’ve Bajetic .
    Wataru Endo.
    No need to panic because Bajetic is good if he can stay fit.

  10. He’ll end up at Real Madrid like they all do.
    Signing a new deal with Real Sociedad with an even bigger release clause and Real Madrid will swoop in next year and double the clubs profits to £100m Guaranteed.

  11. Liverpool please off load the misfiring twins If LD & DN scored just 50 percent off all their open chances Liverpool would have won more games probably won the league

  12. I think he had no interest in moving to Liverpool and used the situation to increase his wages, a total waste of time by the so called experts on transfer’s at LFC , We need a decent CB to replace van dyke a left back and a proper holding mid , five crucial positions need improvement and we have not even got one , and the band played on

  13. We are not exactly missing out on a Mascherano or X.Alonzo.
    We shouldn’t lose any sleep when a person goes back on his word and don’t have the guts to address it publicly.

    Bajcetic might have more to offer this season.
    It is just unfortunate that he is still not yet physically built to handle the rigors of a 50+ games schedule.

  14. This situation is an absolute joke. Why we ever thought he would join given his track record of turning clubs down at the last minute. It seems that even giving his word means nothing to him. Just using LFC to get a better contract from RS. This is a good player who has minimal ambition. RS are a nice little team in La Liga nothing else – they are not going to be challenging for trophies etc. so in that respect he has achieved his ambition of playing for his boy hood club whilst also being a bit part player for the national team. A few months ago we were hailing the return of the transfer gurus to the club…yet NO signings. I have said before it is difficult as there is a new manager and he needs to asses the squad BUT it was obvious to everyone we needed a new Defensive Midfielder so we spend efforts trying to get Gordon a left winger????? We NEED and DFM and a decent cover at Left back. Get them in and then we can review in Jan. We have a good squad, but if we get the injuries like last season it is not strong in depth. Hughes and the rest of the transfer team really need to pull their fingers out.

  15. Same game FSG played with caicaedo – making an offer for a player they are unlikely to secure – taking Liverpool fans for mugs – no interest in winning only remaining in top 4 – we’re meant to compete with city etc by not improving a squad that came third – how’s does that work? – Hughes is either incompetent or complicit in their game of greed – they’re laughing at our fans

  16. We have at least 7 MF who are well able to do a job for Slot, look at the squad depth Sunday ,2 11s were strong, lets see how we do under big Arne. Don’t worry lads

  17. Agree with Philip,
    Give Arne a chance, have enough quality players, and trust him to use them productively in any of his formation. His first year , will assess as season progresses. Still time to add a player or two, fully trust Michael Edwards. We’ll be fine.
    Ryan may be the dark horse of the team this year. YNWA

  18. Really poor transfer window from Richard Hughes. Failing to tie down any our our first team stars, and failing to add any players to the squad.

  19. Slot and team should not punic looking for someone may be not interested of winning trophies instead we have plenty of players who are willing but nobody going for them. For example all those players clopp used to win trophies who expected them to do so.

  20. I AM THINK ALL FSG JEAUIOUSABLEHOLICFREE AND SELFISHALEHOLICFREE PLUS ASSHOLEHOLICFREE WITH BASTERDABLEHOLICFREE INCLUDE DICKHEADABLEHOLICFREE OWNER JOHN WILLIAMS AND THOMAS OR TOM WERDER PLUS BILLY H ADDER ON EX BOURN FC DIRECTION TO RETURE FAIL AGAIN RICHARD HUGHES TOO OK

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