Martín Zubimendi had been continually linked with a move to Anfield over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, the transfer in question is now confirmed to be off after Real Sociedad’s charm offensive succeeded in persuading the holding midfielder to stay put in Spain.
Even more frustrating for fans of the club – it appears that the Merseysiders won’t be pursuing an alternative option to plug the No.6 gap that has plagued the outfit in recent years, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce.
Whilst it may feel like throwing salt in the wound, some may be left wondering how the footballer may have fit into Arne Slot’s side if his decision-making process had gone the other way.
Despite no new arrivals, Liverpool have impressed under Arne Slot during pre-season, especially during their 4-1 demolition of Sevilla over the weekend. Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai started in midfield, and all three played well.
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They are also the players Zubimendi would have competed with for a starting spot if he had agreed a move to Anfield. Over his career at Sociedad, the No.4 has performed best in a deep-lying central midfield position, meaning he’d likely have played as one of the two deeper midfielders in Arne Slot’s favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.
His performances at this summer’s Euros perfectly demonstrated his strengths. Zubimendi is defensively solid and possesses the elite technical quality that has defined Spanish midfielders over the past decade. The midfielder can also progress the ball effectively with an excellent range of passing. Liverpool sit third in the Premier League betting, and his addition would only have made the squad more competitive.
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Zubimendi made his La Liga debut for Real Sociedad in 2019 but only established himself in the senior side during the 2020/21 season. Since his debut, he’s made well over 150 appearances for his boyhood club. His style of play has drawn comparisons to Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets, high praise for any midfielder. A more recent comparison is Man City star Rodri, who Zubimendi replaced at halftime of the Euro 2024 final.
To top it all off, former Liverpool favourite Xabi Alonso (and now head coach of Bundesliga winners Bayer Leverkusen) had spoken highly of his former protege.
If Liverpool had managed to strike a deal for the 25-year-old, it would have opened up several possibilities for Arne Slot in midfield. Zubimendi would likely have been the more defensive of Slot’s two deep midfielders, giving his partner more licence to get forward. His skills mean he had the potential to form a superb partnership with Szoboszlai or Mac Allister.
Zubimendi’s arrival would have likely reduced the playing time of Japanese veteran Wataru Endo, and he may have opted to depart Anfield in that event. Ryan Gravenberch is another midfielder who could have lost minutes, though now appears to be the direct beneficiary of the Sociedad star’s decision to remain in San Sebastian.
Time for the Dutchman to step up and prove his worth in the 2024/25 campaign? Quite possibly, given Liverpool’s reported position.
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