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Though Liverpool’s proposed £51 million deal for Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi fell through, three sources have suggested it could be revived later.
Zubimendi was poised to leave LaLiga for the Premier League in the summer transfer window, only for a late change of heart seeing him stay at Sociedad.
The Spanish side were reported to have made a dedicated pitch to their academy product, emphasising his importance to the club and his affinity with the city of San Sebastian.
But while there were claims that a new contract would follow, there have been no developments yet and sources closer to Merseyside have now indicated a transfer could be revisited.
One of those sources is Liverpool journalist David Lynch, speaking to Anfield Agenda, who explained that the situation was not “completely closed off” after Zubimendi’s decision to stay.
“[Liverpool] also felt pressure was being put on the player from Real Sociedad’s side more than anything else,” he said.
“It wasn’t a U-turn where they felt he’d been traitorous to Liverpool or anything like that; they felt that Real Sociedad had played a big role in that.”
Lynch emphasised that Liverpool “have a very narrow list of targets” and that “if the player’s ready at that point [in January] to make the move and feels like ‘I made a mistake in staying’, I don’t think Liverpool would rule that out at all.”
The Athletic’s David Ornstein also referenced Liverpool’s willingness to wait for key targets, with the Virgil van Dijk deal a prime example, when speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast.
“[There stance was] no panic, don’t suddenly knee-jerk to an alternative that might not be quite right for you,” Ornstein said.
“Perhaps, go with your internal, existing options until the right opportunity arises.”
Liverpool’s pursuit of Van Dijk an example
Van Dijk was on course to join in the summer of 2017 only for the club’s approach to the player himself to lead to a complaint from Southampton and a forced withdrawal from talks.
It was later revived in the January after relationships were restored between Liverpool and Southampton – though clearly that would not be required in Zubimendi’s case.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano is another who has claimed interest in the 25-year-old could remain during an interview with Men in Blazers.
If Zubimendi does not sign a new deal at Sociedad he will remain available for £51 million due to his buyout clause, and therefore it would only be the player himself who would need convincing.
There are a lot of ‘ifs’ in this scenario, of course, but it is clear that Liverpool have not been entirely put off by the word received by Zubimendi’s camp.
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