Liverpool fans’ pulses were sent racing last week when it was revealed that the club were confident of signing Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi.
The pursuit came shortly after the news that new head coach Arne Slot was prioritising signing a defensive midfielder.
It appeared as if the transfer was close to completion, with the possibility of a player being sent in the opposite direction either on loan or permanently being mooted.
The Basque side then made a late bid to convince their star man that he should stay, with factors such as the local weather, food and culture mentioned as possible reasons why Zubimendi would find it difficult to leave his boyhood club.
The deal has since collapsed, with several journalists now briefing that the Reds do not expect to sign a No. 6 this summer.
On the latest episode of our Journo Insight show, we asked the Liverpool Echo’s LFC correspondent Paul Gorst for his thoughts on the Zubimendi story.
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Paul said:
“It seems as though he gave assurances that he was willing to move, and then Liverpool pushed on with that, and then Real Sociedad went on a bit of a charm offensive.
“They’ve extolled the virtues of the area, the mountains, the scenery, the food, the culture, the weather, and it’s all just tugged at the heartstrings of, and he’s decided to stay put.
“I don’t think Liverpool fans can be too critical of the player because they’ve been there themselves. They’ve had Steven Gerrard the subject of interest… he came close to joining Chelsea and then obviously turned that down.
“All the noises are at the moment that Liverpool aren’t pursuing an alternative number six, which is a controversial strategy.
“I think in a black-and-white world, you are right in saying that Hughes is not getting them over the line. The optics of it don’t look great, but there are nuances to every deal.
“On the face of it, none of it looks particularly good, particularly when Slot’s saying that he’d be surprised if no one comes in. Virgil van Dijk – we spoke to him on Sunday after the Sevilla game and he said that he was hopeful of players coming in and felt that they needed to do some work.
“I can definitely see some fans frustrations that the Premier League starts on Friday night, Liverpool kick off on Saturday and still nothing through the door. It’s a good squad, but it’s not a squad that cannot be improved.”
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Redmen Reacts
The failure to land Martín Zubimendi is the latest setback in what has been a tricky first transfer window for Richard Hughes. It is unfortunate for the club that the player has had a late change of heart, but the lead-up to the signing has now left some of the current squad and Arne Slot with egg on their faces. The fact that it was briefed that Slot was prioritising signing a defensive midfielder implies that he does not truly believe the answer can be found among the players he has at his disposal. Whichever pair he picks in the first three games of the season know their head coach thinks Zubimendi was a potential upgrade on them. The club have also indirectly revealed the new boss does not feel Wataru Endo is of a sufficient standard to command a first-team place. Endo may now have to be relied upon as the season progresses having had his confidence knocked by the knowledge that he is expendable. The snub also represents the third failed transfer pursuit of the window. Deals for Leny Yoro and Anthony Gordon were not seen as vital but were not landed. Liverpool must now make a good start on the pitch to reduce the noise over their transfer dealings.
