Arsenal failed to convince £51m player who Liverpool have now made a move for

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Liverpool remain locked in talks to make Martin Zubimendi their first signing of the Arne Slot era, but if reports are to be believed, the midfielder previously rebuffed approaches from Arsenal and a host of other European clubs.

Zubimendi is leaning towards accepting the Reds’ proposal if they don’t face any issues activating his £51m release clause and it remains to be seen if a move for the midfielder comes to fruition.

The Gunners, for their part, are also interested in signing a Real Sociedad player, with Mikel Merino tipped to move to Arsenal before the transfer deadline.

Merino would add some much-needed cover and physicality to their existing options, but had they got their way, Zubimendi could well have been on his way to the Emirates Stadium.

Zubimendi rejected advances from Arsenal before Liverpool approach

According to Noticias de Gipuzkoa, there are indications that Zubimendi has ‘fallen for the charms’ of Liverpool, with the midfielder tipped to tread the path taken by former Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is Zubimendi’s idol.

The same report confirms that Zubimendi rejected several advances from the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, while he also confirmed his desire to remain at Real Sociedad after winning Euro 2024 with Spain.

The report, however, fails to mention whether or not Arsenal approached Real Sociedad for Zubimendi or when they got in touch with the player.

The La Liga giants were braced for an approach for Merino, who is still firmly on Arsenal’s radar, but Liverpool’s interest in Zubimendi has thrown a spanner into the works of their transfer plans, with the club having already lost Robin Le Normand to Atletico Madrid.

Will Arsenal regret missing out on Zubimendi?

Zubimendi is comfortable on the ball and is hailed as the perfect number six for Slot’s system at Liverpool.

The Dutchman’s philosophy is similar to Mikel Arteta’s in the sense that he prefers a possession-based brand of football, indicating that Zubimendi would have been perfect for Arsenal as well.

A midfield partnership of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Zubimendi looks bulletproof on paper, but with Arsenal currently pursuing a deal for Merino, they won’t feel too hard done by the fact that they were reportedly turned down by Zubimendi.

No La Liga player has made more recoveries than Merino since the start of the 2021-22 season, while his stint with Newcastle United on loan during the 2017-18 season means he’s also got a brief taste of English football.

At the end of the day, if both deals go through, Arsenal and Liverpool are both getting a player each who would significantly improve them on the pitch.

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