Liverpool had a relatively quiet summer window, with the biggest change being Arne Slot arriving to replace Jurgen Klopp.
The biggest saga was trying to secure Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi, and that move eventually failed due to the player’s loyalty.
Liverpool identified the 25-year-old as their main midfield target. He has a €60m release clause and Liverpool were not only willing to trigger his clause, but also offered him a deal that La Real ‘couldn’t get close to’.
Last month, El Diario Vasco reported Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay had opened renewal talks with the midfielder, to fend off Liverpool.
Fast forward to September and Noticias de Gipuzkoa now claims Zubimendi didn’t make any demands before rejecting the Premier League side.
The La Liga side presented Nayef Aguerd and Orri Óskarsson to the media on Thursday, and the duo were accompanied by the president.
When asked about the Spain international, Aperribay insisted he didn’t snub Arne Slot’s side because there was a promise of an improved deal. In fact, he claims there’s been no renewal talks so far.
“There has been no conversation with Zubimendi to renew the contract. There hasn’t been one now and there hasn’t been one before. He didn’t put any conditions on us,” he said.
“He understood the moment and knew that it was a market in which some players were already going to leave, and he understood that it was time to stay at Real Sociedad. He has not made it a condition for us to renew nor have we talked about it. The conversation with Martín was short and quick.”
Earlier this month, the player told Marca that Real Sociedad is “my life” and “a lot of what I am is part of La Real.”
Zubimendi came up through the ranks of the Spanish club’s youth system and has been part of their first team since 2019.
