Liverpool waited for the European Championships to conclude before formally pushing to sign Martin Zubimendi in the summer transfer window.
Little did they know that the midfielder, who was selected as the only candidate to reinforce the midfield, will end up rejecting a lucrative contract offer to stay with Real Sociedad.
As per today’s edition of Mundo Deportivo (news image provided below) Liverpool offered Zubimendi three times the salary that he is currently taking home.
At the moment, the Spanish international earns 3 million euros per season, so, the Reds moved in with an offer worth 9 million euros a season, i.e. around £7.7million a year.
Had Zubimendi accepted the terms, he would have become a player with the fifth highest salary in the Liverpool squad, earning just under £150,000 a week.
MD state the Anfield side were even prepared to activate the 60 million euros release clause and not many at Sociedad believed that the 25-year-old regista will stay after receiving such a mammoth proposal from the Merseysiders. However, perhaps Martin Zubimendi loves the Txuri-Urdin the way Steven Gerrard loves Liverpool.
Ideally, Arne Slot should be allowed to secure an alternative to strengthen the No.6 position. Endo was a stop-gap signing last year and Mac Allister only featured as a make-shift CDM.
Now, Gravenberch, who only warmed the bench at the Euros, is being introduced as a the savior in the deep lying midfield role, but this is yet another experiment of using a player out of his preferred position.
Man City cannot operate at their best without Rodri and Arsenal are not the same without Rice. When will Liverpool realize to properly replace Fabinho at Anfield?
