Liverpool have shown their hand in the transfer market after months of playing it cool.
The Reds were keen not to rush into anything this summer having only just appointed Arne Slot in place of Jurgen Klopp.
With Richard Hughes also only just through the door as the new sporting director at Anfield, it made sense to allow everyone a bit of time to assess the Liverpool squad.
After a three-game tour to the USA – which ended with the Reds having won every match and beaten Manchester United and Arsenal – Slot and FSG have now decided what Liverpool need.
The answer, is Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi. However, while the Reds appear confident of bringing the Euro 2024 winner to Merseyside, it is not a done deal yet.
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Liverpool fans have every right to be excited by what their club is doing in the market. After so long of feeding off scraps this summer, things are now getting very good indeed.
Zubimendi looks perfect for Liverpool and could give Slot exactly what he’s looking for in midfield.
However, there are problems in signing Zubimendi. The biggest obstacle is whether the player himself actually wants to leave Real Sociedad.
As a boyhood fan of the club and a local to the city they play in – San Sebastian – Zubimendi has turned down big offers before, notably from Arsenal.
However, it has been claimed in Spain that Real Sociedad are resigned to losing Zubimendi, while journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Liverpool are now confident that the 25-year-old will join.
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Nevertheless, there remains some small doubt there. There could also be an issue over payment terms on the deal, with Zubimendi’s £51.7m release clause likely needing to be paid up front.
So, just in case it does all get scrapped over the next couple of days, The Athletic have suggested what Liverpool could do next.
Unfortunately for Reds fans, it is not particularly good news. It’s claimed that should they fail to get Zubimendi over the line, Liverpool would ‘not necessarily’ look for an alternative.
The Reds reportedly rejected an offer for Wataru Endo earlier in the window because of ‘limited options and a difficult market.’ There appears to be no Zubimendi plan B.
All or nothing for Liverpool
This is a slightly worrying update, but does ring true with what we know about Liverpool’s transfer strategy.
In many ways, it’s huge credit to the Reds that they often stick to their guns in the market. If they can’t get who they feel is the right player, then they’ll walk away and look again later down the line.
That was the method which led Liverpool to Virgil van Dijk when it looked like a deal was not possible and it’s stood them in good stead.
So, if Zubimendi does decide that he cannot leave the club he has loved all his life, then it seems likely that Slot will lean on the likes of Stefan Bajcetic and Tyler Morton a little more.
While that does not have to be a bad thing, for those willing Liverpool to refresh the squad, it’s all or nothing on Zubimendi now.
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