Liverpool suffer blow as £51m transfer target Martin Zubimendi snubs Anfield move

Club likely to not pursue further options to allow Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones to compete for vacant midfield berth

Liverpool have been dealt a blow in their summer recruitment plans after Martin Zubimendi decided against a move to Anfield and will stay at Real Sociedad.
The Spain midfielder, 25, had been identified as a primary target to play as a deep-lying midfield playmaker in the system of Arne Slot in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager.
Slot is yet to make a signing since his appointment as manager and at this stage of his first window is unlikely to move for an alternative midfielder. Zubimendi, who was in the Spain team which won the European Championship last month, was seen as a player with a profile to suit the No6 role.
With just over a week before the start of the Premier League season, Liverpool are likely to stick with the midfielders they have rather than sign a player who does not fit the profile needed.
Zubimendi had a buyout clause of around £51 million and Liverpool had initially been given encouragement that the player would be willing to move to Merseyside.
Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil has held a series of meetings with Zubimendi since the interest emerged and has helped persuade him to stay, citing his lifestyle and fan reaction among the factors to consider.
Earlier on Monday, it was confirmed to Liverpool that Zubimendi will stay at Reale Arena, where he came up through the ranks and became a regular over the last four season after Alguacil gave him a debut.
Slot is now likely to stick with the midfielders currently at his disposal with Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones competing for a place alongside established first-team players Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has played in midfield for England and Wataru Endo will also be available.
“You can come up with every name you want to of course. I have quite a good idea which player suits there at this moment in my opinion best,” said Slot last week, when asked about Zubimendi.
“But we are only one week working together with some players. Sometimes you feel this is the best No 6 but then the combination with the other two might not work out that well. It’s not to say the ones who played today will play next week or the weeks after.
“We are still in a situation where we are constantly evaluating which is the best line-up for us.”
Zubimendi was billed as a player who can control matches from central midfield, which is a position Slot has looked to strengthen following his appointment.
While Rodri was crowned Uefa’s player of the tournament at the Euros, Zubimendi was seen as a player with a similar skill-set and when called upon in the final had a key role for Spain despite the blow of losing their key player.
He helped Sociedad finish sixth last season, while also reaching the last 16 of the Champions League before being beaten by Paris St-Germain. He was a regular for his club during the campaign, playing 45 times in all competitions.
Slot has yet to make a major signing after arriving from Feyenoord, with Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip leaving the first-team set-up in the summer.