'Ready to leave': Balague shares what he 'was told' about Liverpool and Zubimendi and makes January prediction
01/02/2025 08:30 AM
Liverpool look set to spend most of the January transfer window convincing one of their homegrown talents to stay at the club.
The Reds are trying to fend off interest from Real Madrid in Trent Alexander-Arnold.
While Liverpool supporters digest Carlo Ancelotti’s comments about Alexander-Arnold on Thursday, the irony will not be lost on some that the Reds were on the other side of this coin only months ago.
Over the summer, Liverpool tried desperately to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
But while the Liverpool pitch was no doubt an enticing one for Zubimendi, the 25-year-old could not drag himself away from his hometown club.
Ahead of the winter market there have been suggestions that Liverpool will come back for Zubimendi, though, and according to journalist Guillem Balague, the Spain international is now ready to leave.
Martin Zubimendi ready for Real Sociedad exit
Since August, Zubimendi has claimed that he does not regret his decision not to join Liverpool. However, while his loyalty to La Real is admirable, it does not look like it will last.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Balague has claimed that Zubimendi is now ready to make his big move. However, according to the Spanish reporter, Liverpool may not be in the running.
“I was told everything was done with Liverpool but he decided personally not to leave,” Balague explains.
“Now three months into the season he is ready to go. When Manchester City want a replacement for Rodri, that is the guy to look for. Barca would like him but don’t have the money and he is ready to leave now.”
READ MORE: Real Sociedad sporting director predicts if Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi will leave in January
He is not the strongest or fastest but he reads the game so well and leads the team,” adds the journalist. “He understands the role perfectly.
“I don’t think Liverpool will go back, although Zubimendi is a different level to Ryan Gravenberch. I know Man City like him a lot. And teams with 60m euros? He can only go to the Premier League. Chelsea don’t need him, Manchester United maybe?”
Liverpool should be front of the queue for Zubimendi
It seems strange for Balague to dismiss Liverpool as an option for Zubimendi. The Reds still need a midfielder and clearly already have a rapport with the player.
If all that was stopping Zubimendi before was a hesitation about leaving, then why would things have suddenly changed on his destination?
Should Liverpool still make their interest known, then the presence of a release clause and the player’s decision to go would surely make it a straightforward deal.
Perhaps the one factor that could alter things is the emergence of Gravenberch as Arne Slot’s go-to deep midfielder.
With Gravenberch performing so well, maybe Liverpool will feel spending £50m on Zubimendi is no longer a priority. Let’s wait and see, but we’d be surprised if the Euro 2024 winner is not on the move in 2025.
