What’s really likely to happen with Liverpool and Martin Zubimendi in January

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Liverpool’s midfield has been one of the most impressive facets of Arne Slot’s early tenure as Reds head coach.

After a summer full of speculation over whether Liverpool would sign a new deeper lying midfielder, Slot’s current options have come to the fore.

Ryan Gravenberch has been the standout, adapting to a new role and shining in it. But around him both Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have been very good, too.

Gravenberch’s emergence as the potentially elite number six Liverpool were looking for has certainly softened the blow of losing out on Martin Zubimendi over the summer.

The Reds pushed hard to get Zubimendi, but the Real Sociedad man couldn’t be swayed. Although Liverpool believed Zubimendi had given his word to join them, he soon went back on that.

Since then while the Reds have generally flourished, Real Sociedad have been poor. A bad start the campaign has led to suggestions that Zubimendi may be regretting his decision.

Liverpool unlikely to return for Martin Zubimendi

Once Zubimendi decided that he simply couldn’t leave his boyhood club this summer, it felt as though a line had been drawn under this saga.

However, earlier in September reports had started to emerge that Liverpool could come back in for Zubimendi in January.

This week, there have been suggestions in Spain that the 25-year-old does indeed now want to make the move to Anfield happen and has asked Liverpool to come back for him in the New Year.

The veracity of these reports is a little questionable, however. And according to journalist Paul Gorst, there is nothing on the Liverpool end to suggest that they are still holding out for Zubimendi.

Speaking to The Redmen TV, Gorst says that it’s unlikely the Spaniard will be back on the Reds’ radar this winter.

READ MORE: What Martin Zubimendi has said in public since turning down Liverpool move

“Maybe it’s from the Sociedad end but to have an idea that Zubimendi wants to join you and then for him to make a U-turn in quite a short space of time, over the course of three or four days, I think that would leave Liverpool officials being a little but burned by that and a little bit put off to go back to it,” says the journalist.

“So, it’s just one I can’t really see happening.

“They certainly liked him as a player,” Gorst adds. “I don’t think that admiration has gone away on the back of what might have been a difficult start of the season for Sociedad.

“I’d just be surprised if Liverpool went back in for this one and maybe they will see priorities elsewhere when January rolls around.”

Should Liverpool be back in for Zubimendi?

Every supporter will have their own individual take on this one. For some, if there’s a chance Zubimendi is keen to come then it’d be a no-brainer to go back for him.

The Euro 2024 winner was clearly Liverpool’s top target. Having decided not to move on to a different player and instead sign no one at all, Zubimendi was clearly the one.

Less than six months on, it’s unlikely that the Reds will have found another solution worth pursuing.

As a result, it may be slightly delayed, but perhaps Liverpool cannot pass up the opportunity to secure the player they wanted all along.

For others, they’ll believe that Zubimendi has had his chance and missed it. There are plenty of other players out there who could do the job for Liverpool and Gravenberch is so far looking tailor-made to play the role anyway. Let’s see which way the Reds decide.