Liverpool have been linked with many players over the years.
Sometimes the moves work out and the player ends up making the switch to Anfield, and at others, they fall through.
One example of this is Marc Guehi.
The centre-back was on the brink of becoming a Liverpool player in the summer, and in the dying embers of the window, Crystal Palace pulled out of the deal.
Most felt his Liverpool transfer was dead certain, but in the end, Steve Parish decided he was more valuable to his club by staying put.
There have been several examples of this over the years, with one of the Reds’ previously-linked players now admitting he’s “happy” his move to Merseyside didn’t end up happening.
Martin Zubimendi is happy that he chose against joining Liverpool
One of the biggest transfer stories to emerge from Anfield last season was the failed move of Martin Zubimendi.
Liverpool had agreed a fee with Real Sociedad to prise him away from his boyhood club, with terms even being agreed between the Spaniard and the Anfield outfit.
In the end, however, he chose against making the move and instead chose to stay put and try to help Sociedad get back to their best.
This summer, he went against that and ended up signing for Arsenal.
And, while speaking to The Guardian about the move, the holding midfielder has said that he’s happy his transfer to Liverpool didn’t go through.
“When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at la Real,” he said.
“And it wasn’t the right moment [to go]. I stayed, and it was a hard season, but I learned a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went.”
He was then asked whether Sociedad’s fans appreciated his staying. “Well, until you do decide to go,” he says, smiling. “But I’ve always tried to choose the right time, and I’m happy with how it happened in the end.”
Martin Zubimendi not joining Liverpool worked out for everyone
When Zubimendi, who ended up costing Arsenal around £55million, rejected Liverpool, many fans thought that the Reds’ season would be hopeless.
They had no recognised defensive midfielder among their ranks aside from Wataru Endo, who wasn’t quite good enough to start every Premier League game.
However, this all changed when Slot introduced Ryan Gravenberch to his system.
The Dutch midfielder was struggling to get minutes during Jurgen Klopp’s time in charge, but under the guidance of Slot, he seems to have developed into a whole new beast.
Gravenberch is now widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders, and, if Zubimendi had actually joined, it’s unlikely that the former Bayern Munich ace would have fulfilled his potential.
Sometimes, it’s strange how things work out, but with how key he’s become to Liverpool’s starting XI, it’s clear that it was for the better.
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