Liverpool transfer news: Martin Zubimendi is BACK on the menu after shock twist

Arne Slot has enjoyed a great deal of success since his arrival in Merseyside at the start of the summer, but not everything has worked out perfectly for the Dutchman.

On the pitch things are going about as well as they can be, with Liverpool five points clear at the top of the Premier League and also top of the UEFA Champions League.

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Off the pitch however, things haven’t gone as smoothly for the new Liverpool regime.

The change from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot also saw a change in responsibilities for those behind the scenes at Anfield. Slot is the head coach at Liverpool and therefore the transfer and contract responsibilities have shifted more toward Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards.

The contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been the centre of most of the criticism aimed at the Reds this season, but there is also the failed transfer for Martin Zubimendi this summer that is still making headlines.

The Zubimendi situation

Since Martin Zubimendi decided to remain at his boyhood club, Real Sociedad, instead of joining Liverpool this summer, a lot has changed.

Zubimendi was promised a new contract that hasn’t yet materialised and now Real Sociedad’s director of football, Roberto Olabe, has announced he will be stepping down from his post.

This leaves Zubimendi in a precarious position and his future at Real Sociedad could once again be called into question.

Fabrizio Romano revealed recently on his YouTube channel that Liverpool are still monitoring Zubimendi on a ‘constant basis’ but Mikel Arteta and Arsenal also remain admirers of the 25-year-old.

Arsenal could also now gain the upper hand in the pursuit of Zubimendi as they look to replace sporting director Edu, who announced his departure earlier this month.

Olabe has done businesses with Arsenal before, including deals that saw Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard head to the Emirates, and he was also the man who signed Mikel Arteta for Real Sociedad in 2004.

This good connection could lead Olabe to become a candidate for the vacant sporting director role at the Emirates, and if he were appointed it could boost Arsenal’s chances of signing Zubimendi.

Do Liverpool even still need Zubimendi?

When the Euros winner decided not to make the move to Merseyside in the summer, Liverpool opted not to sign an alternative, and instead put their faith in Ryan Gravenberch to fill the hole at the base of midfield.

This faith has paid off and Gravenberch has been fantastic for the Reds and as such James Pearce revealed in his recent Liverpool mailbag that “Gravenberch’s form means Liverpool no longer view signing a holding midfielder as a priority.”

This does not mean that Liverpool have given up on recruitment in that area entirely and Pearce did add: “With Endo turning 32 in February and down the pecking order, off-loading him and signing a replacement next summer could be wise.”

In the same Q&A Pearce revealed that he thought January business was unlikely from Liverpool, who are generally happy with their squad depth, and so any return for Zubimendi would likely come next summer.

It is also worth acknowledging the performances of Tyler Morton, who has been impressive in the limited number of minutes he has been afforded this season.

Pearce also commented on Morton, revealing that he has “impressed the senior players with his attitude in training” and so an increase in responsibility for Morton could be the solution if Endo were to depart Liverpool.

Overall, any future move for Zubimendi looks as though it will be just as complicated as Liverpool’s attempt to sign him last summer was. A Merseyside move for the 25-year-old is completely off the cards but there are so many factors in play that only time will tell whether Zubimendi is destined for Anfield, or if he will remain the one who got away.

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