Martin Zubimendi sheds light on 'selfish' reason for rejecting Liverpool – 'Wasn't that hard'
Martin Zubimendi sheds light on 'selfish' reason for rejecting Liverpool – 'Wasn't that hard'
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Martin Zubimendi has explained why he pulled out of a move to Liverpool in the summer in favour of staying with Real Sociedad. Arne Slot made signing a new No. 6 a priority after taking over from Jurgen Klopp and losing Thiago Alcantara. Zubimendi stood out as the best option after another solid season with La Real was followed by Spain’s win at Euro 2024.
Liverpool triggered Zubimendi’s release clause of €60million (£50m) and believed they had got their man. However, the Spain international had a change of heart and pulled out of the deal, leaving the Reds to abandon the idea of signing a midfielder in the window.
The emergence of Ryan Gravenberch under Slot’s management has meant that snubbing in the summer transfer window hasn’t been damaging for Liverpool. But Zubimendi remains on their radar, while rivals Manchester City have also been credited with interest following the season-ending injury to Rodri.
Explaining what happened in the summer to El Diario Vasco, Zubimendi said: “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.”.
