Manager Arne Slot wanted to move to possession-oriented football, and Liverpool sought a technical defensive midfielder to form the core of the team.
A perfect fit in a variety of capacities was Real Sociedad midfielder Martín Zubimendi, who was pushed hard for acquisition.
Along the way, it was reported that a move to Liverpool was imminent, but in the end he decided to stay at the club he had been at since childhood.
The 25-year-old midfielder was leaning towards a move when he was in talks with the English club, but Sociedad’s hard-nosed and technical approach turned the board upside down, according to The Times’ Paul Joyce.
“At the end of July a two-man delegation from Anfield headed to San Sebastian, where they were given assurances that the player, who had previously turned down advances from Arsenal and Bayern Munich, would be willing to leave the Basque club he had joined at the age of 12,”
“The meetings lasted much of the day and involved the player’s agent, Iñaki Ibañez, and the party left believing a deal was possible, even if Zubimendi’s release clause of €60million (£51million) was expected to be paid in one sum.”
“They told Zubimendi he would have to trigger the clause himself rather than Sociedad coming to an agreement with Liverpool.”
“In other words, he would have to force his way out of the club that means everything to him, when he wanted to walk out of the front door with their blessing.”
For the Spanish midfielder, whose academy days and professional debut were all at La Real, it was natural for him to want to avoid a situation where he had a falling out with his beloved club, which at best was a way of persuading the player to understand his feelings and at worst a way of not supporting his step up.
For Real Sociedad, no matter what is said, the result was a success. While they succeeded in keeping their main man, Liverpool were left scratching their heads. It is unlikely that they will move to secure a defensive midfielder in the future, but reinforcements are not yet finished.
So, with the transfer deadline looming, can Liverpool succeed in acquiring a player to bridge the gap with Manchester City and Arsenal…?