When Arne Slott took over as manager, Liverpool changed their midfield structure and sought a new defensive midfielder. And all eyes were on Real Sociedad’s Spanish midfielder Martín Zubimendi.
A club-to-club agreement was reached and the rest of the transfer drama was left to the player to decide, but the Spanish midfielder decided to stay where he was familiar with.
Liverpool have since not pursued another midfielder, with converted Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch making up for the disappointment of the failed acquisition.
The 25-year-old midfielder has pledged his loyalty to the club he grew up with as a child, but for the player, the Liverpool story came out of the blue. However, he said he still had unfinished business at Sociedad and revealed the background to his decision to stay in La Liga.
“I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise,”
“It wasn’t something I had planned.”
“I reacted when the situation arose. It was an uncomfortable time for me but I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay.”
“I don’t believe in ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunities. If you’re good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There’s no need to rush.”
“I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision.”
“There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me. And that was staying.”
El Diario Vasco