Liverpool never actually wanted ‘opportunist’ £51m deal as they have their ‘own Zubimendi’

Of course Liverpool never really properly wanted Martin Zubimendi. It was an ‘opportunist move’ and a ‘surprise’, plus they have their ‘own’ version anyway.

Mart casual
It is difficult to argue that the biggest story in all of football on Tuesday is not Martin Zubimendi rejecting Liverpool. Yet his name is mentioned only once on The Sun website – in a live transfer blog behind references to both Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix – while the back page of the actual Sun newspaper leads on Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui flying into Manchester (they landed on Monday morning), with sceptical quotes from Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand (made last week).

They have not published a single article covering the day’s biggest story. While the reasons for that are obvious it does make them look really quite silly as a news outlet purporting to be in any way serious. Even if they won’t sell a single copy on Merseyside, it is probably still worth doing some Liverpool stuff, guys.

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The joys of No. 6
Every other national newspaper and equivalent website leads on the Zubimendi stuff. And some enjoy some light transfer copium.

The lead story on the MailOnline, for example:

‘Liverpool’s top summer target Martin Zubimendi REJECTS move to Anfield despite ‘giving his word’ as Real Sociedad convince £52m man to stay in San Sebastian for the ‘food and hikes”

Yep, the only reason he turned Liverpool down to stay at the team he has been with since the age of 12 is because he would miss the Basque mountains and food. If it weren’t for *checks notes* Mount Ulia then he would be in Liverpool red right now and burning all the shirts of his boyhood club (who are really very good and will play European football again this season after reaching the Champions League knockout stages and Copa del Rey semi-finals in 2023/24).

The quote marks in the headline obviously quote absolutely nothing and no-one. It’s just like when Steven Gerrard turned Chelsea down for ‘Popworld and bowls of scouse’.

The Daily Mirror website also indulge, pointing out that ‘Arne Slot has already hinted Martin Zubimendi isn’t needed in Liverpool’s midfield’. And that is fine, but publicly pursuing a £51m transfer target doesn’t half hint he is needed a little bit. Not sure how the manager simply stating that existing squad players have been used there in pre-season changes that.

But the real fun to be had is with the Liverpool Echo, who must be devastated that the club will not be able to repeat their entirely unique ‘transfer trick’.

Indeed, they know that an ‘unexpected Liverpool midfield plan emerges’. Rough translation: Liverpool have been turned down by their top target and have no choice but to make do with the players they have. Is that a ‘plan’?

Apparently so, although Ian Doyle points out they ‘viewed the transfer as an opportunist move after they were led to believe the player had become unexpectedly unavailable,’ so really it’s okay as Liverpool never properly wanted him anyway.

And actually, as Kieran Horn makes clear in another story, ‘Slot already has his own Zubimendi at Anfield’. Quite who remains a mystery.

‘It was certainly a surprise to see Liverpool pursue a midfielder, given the mini-rebuild Jurgen Klopp completed in that department last summer.’

You mean when they made a British transfer record bid for Moises Caicedo in a massive panic, had that hijacked by Chelsea and responded by switching their attentions to a deal for Romeo Lavia, which was subsequently hijacked by Chelsea? Then they signed a 30-year-old make-do option in Wataru Endo who Liverpool are open to selling in a summer he himself told the club “it would be better to get a No. 6 midfielder” because “at the moment there aren’t many No. 6 players to begin with” in the squad?

Why is Horn so shocked by Liverpool trying to sign a midfielder now when in an article published late Sunday afternoon he explained that ‘strengthening in midfield is a priority for Arne Slot with Zubimendi identified as a potential option that has seen Liverpool explore a transfer’, later naming the Real Sociedad player in a ‘dream midfield’ for Liverpool?

All that, and ‘it was certainly a surprise’ that Liverpool want to sign another midfielder?

‘Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were all signed to permanent contracts 12 months ago, and thus Slot already has his own Zubimendi at Anfield.’

Would you care to share with the group which of those is Slot’s ‘own Zubimendi’?

‘Both Endo and Mac Allister are capable of playing the lone six role, while Szoboszlai and Gravenberch are also able to thrive in a double pivot. Slot has used the former further forward, but he is certainly capable of filling a number of midfield roles.’

We’ll take that as a no. But Zubimendi rejecting Liverpool is fine, because they already have a couple of options ‘capable’ of playing in that role and that really does scream Premier League and Champions League contenders, doesn’t it? It’s a wonder Liverpool were ever after Zubimendi in the first place if Ryan Gravenberch is ‘capable’ of playing there.

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Yeah, it makes me smile
In the realm of volume-speaking in the football media world the bar is already hilariously low. And the Daily Mirror website seem determined to basically bury it.

‘Mikel Arteta’s smile speaks volumes after Arsenal transfer is completed’ is pure, uncut nonsense. Mikel Arteta spoke about then-teenage Arsenal prospect Emile Smith Rowe in June 2020 ‘while cracking a smile’, because he isn’t a raging sociopath (at least not an unconditional one). That ‘speaks volumes’ in August 2024 because the player has now been sold.

Quite what is actually being said is not made clear, but it is certainly voluminous.

‘The fact that the Spaniard has now sold Smith Rowe four years later speaks volumes about how far his stock fell in north London.’

Can things no longer just happen without volumes being spoken?

Joao factor
‘Chelsea have already done the one thing needed to complete Felix transfer return’ – Daily Mirror website.

Getting rid of Mauricio Pochettino was definitely the only obstacle. Chelsea must be happy not to have to endure the rigmarole of agreeing an expensive transfer fee and lavish wages, as well as hefty agent and signing-on payments, on top of negotiating at least one specifically ‘separate’ deal with Atletico which just so happens to seem to rely on them swapping players at the exact same time.

Clever Chelsea for ‘paving the way for Felix to return’ by parting with their manager about three months ago. They really are about ten steps ahead.

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