When Martin Zubimendi finally sets foot at Anfield on Sunday, he will do so not in the red of Liverpool, but in the red and white of Arsenal.
For Arne Slot, it represents more than a missed transfer opportunity. In many ways, it is the story of how one deal that never happened shaped Liverpool’s path to their 20th league title.
Because when Zubimendi elected not to join Liverpool in the summer of 2024, the ripple effects stretched far beyond Merseyside’s transfer plans. That decision forced Slot to look inward, to trust his instincts, and to reinvent a player who had struggled in his debut campaign.
The result was Ryan Gravenberch became one of the Premier League’s most unlikely success stories and a cornerstone of Slot’s title-winning side.
Liverpool’s pursuit of Zubimendi was no secret. Valued at £51m by Real Sociedad, the Basque midfielder was identified as one of Slot’s very first targets upon taking charge. The Dutchman wanted to reshape Liverpool’s midfield into something that reflected his philosophy — more possession, greater control, and a calmness in front of the defence.
Zubimendi, with his blend of technical assurance and tactical discipline, looked the ideal fit. But the Spaniard opted to stay in San Sebastián for one more year, putting an end to Liverpool’s hopes of landing him in Slot’s first window.
Instead, it was Arsenal who eventually won the race, completing a deal earlier this summer after Zubimendi had agreed to join them midway through last season. Now, as he prepares to line up for Mikel Arteta’s side at Anfield, he faces the very team that once tried to build a midfield around him
The irony, of course, is that Zubimendi’s refusal paved the way for Ryan Gravenberch’s reinvention. Having endured a difficult first season at Anfield following his move from Bayern Munich, the Dutchman had been something of a fringe figure. There were flashes of talent but little consistency.
Slot, however, saw something others had missed. Even before Zubimendi turned Liverpool down, he had already been toying with the idea of converting Gravenberch into a number six.
He asked the midfielder to cut short his summer holiday and report back to pre-season training early. On the club’s tour of the United States, he began trialling him in a deeper role, further away from the spotlight.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s clash with Arsenal, Slot was asked to revisit Liverpool’s interest in Zubimendi and what attracted him to the Spaniard.
“What we liked about [Zubimendi] was how good he is on the ball and how much game insight he has.
We thought and it was true that we would have the ball a lot in every single game, and then to have someone in front of your defence that is very comfortable on the ball would have been a good fit for us.”
Slot added that the Spaniard’s defensive ability was never in doubt either, though he was quick to stress that Liverpool found all of those same qualities in Gravenberch.
“Especially if he’s also defensively strong enough for the league, which he’s showing now and which we also expected. But we found all of these things definitely also in Ryan, he’s very comfortable on the ball and defensively strong enough to play in the position.”
For Gravenberch, the turnaround has been remarkable. Criticised at times during his first campaign for being inconsistent, the 23-year-old has blossomed into a disciplined, intelligent, and fearless presence at the base of midfield.
Slot has not been shy in praising his development, particularly the unique qualities he brings to a position traditionally associated with simplicity.
“This is a special quality Ryan has, that he can turn away from his man.
He is one of the few holding midfielders, pivots, the way you want to call it in this country, that can create an overload by a dribble. Mostly these players pass a lot.
Ryan is good in passing as well but to create an overload by a dribble, you don’t see this many times as a number 6.”
And so, as Arsenal prepare to unleash their £51m signing at Anfield, Liverpool will lean once more on the midfielder whose rise was made possible by his absence. Zubimendi’s refusal to move to Merseyside last summer looked like a setback at the time. In reality, it opened the door to one of Slot’s most significant masterstrokes.
Slot admission underlines just how pivotal the failed transfer turned out to be. What could have been a defining purchase instead became a defining transformation.
