Liverpool have expertly revamped their midfield over the last couple of seasons, replacing the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.
Arne Slot has reaped the rewards of the club’s shrewd transfer business, helping Liverpool to the top of the Premier League and Champions League tables midway through his first season.
But the Reds could yet make further improvements to their midfield in an attempt to strengthen their position at the top of English football.
Liverpool and Manchester City could move for Zubimendi
According to transfer journalist Ben Jacobs, Liverpool could reignite their interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who has also been linked with Manchester City and Arsenal.
It has been reported by the Mail journalist, Sami Mokbel, that Zubimendi is in advanced talks with Arsenal – but Jacobs now suggested there could be a twist in this particular transfer tale, following reports from AS that nothing has been agreed and that the player himself is “tired of so many rumours and gossip”.
“The only real exception [to forward planning] in recent years from Liverpool that we’ve seen is in the middle of the park, where Liverpool probably needed a midfield revamp over one or two windows, and by the time they did it, it was obvious that it was very urgent,” Jacobs said, speaking to FourFourTwo on January 13.
“And even now, you could make an argument that Liverpool could still do with another no.6. And if Martin Zubimendi changes his mind, then I’d expect Liverpool and Manchester City to both be there for his signature. So there could be a battle in the summer for Zubimendi, and if Liverpool re-enter that race, they’ll feel quite optimistic, because they don’t feel that Zubimendi rejected Liverpool or the project so much as he chose to stay at Real Sociedad, where his heart is.
“So if the player has a u-turn about leaving Real, then Liverpool will still be there. And it’s very telling that after not getting Zubimendi, they didn’t sign another no.6, so on the list of priorities for 2025 in the next probably one to four windows, will be to bring in another no.6, and Zubimendi and Liverpool could still be one to watch, but don’t discount Manchester City also entering that race.
“But it all depends on the player. The release clause means nothing if the player hasn’t changed his mind about leaving Real Sociedad.”
Meanwhile, German journalist Florian Plettenberg has reported that Bayern Munich are interested in Zubimendi, a wanted man having caught the eye at Euro 2024 and in La Liga. Real Madrid and Barcelona are also said to be keeping an eye on the situation.
In FFT’s view, Zubimendi would be an excellent signing for any of Liverpool, Manchester City or Arsenal, and he is likely to be one of the major talking points in the transfer market this year.
