How Zubimendi’s Liverpool u-turn could now change £34m signing’s Anfield career
Liverpool may have missed out on Martin Zubimendi’s transfer this summer, but it’s not all bad news for the club – and for one player in particular.
The Real Sociedad midfielder had been billed as the long-heralded solution for the No.6 role. Since Fabinho’s sudden and rather unexpected decline, the Reds have struggled to keep pace with their league title rivals in Manchester City and, now, Arsenal.
That looked set to finally be fixed with the Spain international reportedly more than tempted by the offer put on the table. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, with the stunning beauty of the Basque region, not to mention the food, proving a winning combination to keep the former Xabi Alonso protege in San Sebastian.
Another rejection (The Guardian) for the Merseysiders to contend with. A shame.
Despite this, the squad remains optimistic, driving potentially favourable odds for punters betting on Liverpool through UK betting sites, where the team are currently attracting odds of 15/2 for the title this season, and 4/7 for a top-4 finish.
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But wait… is it really a shame?
Ryan Gravenberch, once a relatively lost soul in a promising Jurgen Klopp side, has shown some positive early signs that he could be one of the beating hearts of this Liverpool team for many a season to come.
READ MORE: ‘Great man’: Peter Crouch reacts to surprising transfer news coming out of Liverpool
Plenty of promise in Gravenberch – but let’s keep our powder dry
As fans, we want to get excited over promise. We want to get excited about a performance. We want to get excited about what could be.
It is, of course, worth highlighting that it was just one quality performance as Liverpool’s deepest midfielder from our Dutch international (signed for £34.2m from Bayern Munich). One quality performance against a newly-promoted, albeit very well-drilled, outfit in Kieran McKenna’s second-placed Championship side.
Can we see it again come Brentford’s upcoming trip to Anfield? Can we see Gravenberch leave his mark on a game of serious import? Be it against Inter Milan in the Champions League or against Arsenal at the Emirates?
That’s a lot to think about at the moment, but it’s the sort of questions that are worth asking. Ultimately, these are the sorts of questions that should be encouraging us all, as hard as it is to tame our emotions, to keep that powder dry.
It could all change at the weekend and then we might very well be discussing the No.6 role very differently ahead of the summer transfer window deadline.
What does it change?
There is a world, if we leave the door slightly ajar to the wonders we hope lay beyond our 2-0 win over Ipswich, where Gravenberch is the solution to perhaps Liverpool’s biggest problem over the last three years.
If the former Ajax and Bayern man has anyone in particular to thank for this sudden change in fortunes, it will no doubt be Martin Zubimendi.
Theoretically, it could change a great deal beyond Arne Slot’s selection plans too, ensuring that Richard Hughes and Co. can drive further funds to alternative areas of the side.
Cough cough, a centre-back, cough cough, a right-sided winger, cough cough… ah, you get the gist!
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