Liverpool have been tipped to make a return for the La Liga midfield metronome they missed out on signing before the beginning of the season.
The Reds were heavily linked to Martin Zubimendi who played an important role in Spain’s Euros triumph back in July.
The Euros-winning star looked set to join Arne Slot’s new side, with the club having been in advanced negotiations with the player. However, the deal fell through with Real Sociedad unwilling to yield in their demand which made the player remain at the Basque club.
As per reports by Mirror, it is thought that the 25-year-old may now be open to leaving Real Sociedad and Liverpool may be keen to make a move for him this coming summer.
Having been born and raised in San Sebastian, Martin Zubimendi came through the youth system in his hometown club of Real Sociedad and has made 159 appearances for the club since making his senior team debut in 2019.
The Spanish international has remained an integral part of Imanol Alguacil’s side and has made 15 appearances in all competitions, contributing two goals and one assist from the middle of the park. Now entering his 13th year at the club, the 25-year-old may be seeking a fresh challenge and a change of scenery.
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Liverpool have been on the market for a top defensive midfielder since parting ways with Fabinho and narrowly missed out on signing either Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia, who both opted to join Chelsea instead last two seasons.
However, the arrival of Arne Slot brought in a fresh breath of air into Liverpool’s midfield and the Dutch manager has been able to bring out the best in Ryan Gravenberch who has performed incredibly well in the defensive midfield position despite not being a natural fit for the position.
With Zubimendi’s valuation still around £50 million, it is unlikely that Liverpool will be willing to sanction a move for the player this coming January, with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai all making telling contributions in midfield.
However, the 25-year-old does bring a whole new skill set, unlike Slot has at his disposal at the moment.
