Martin Zubimendi’s rejection of Liverpool is “poor optics” for the club’s reinstated regime and a sign of the club’s weaker heft in the transfer market without Jurgen Klopp, according to Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool are the only Premier League side that has yet to make a signing in the summer transfer window. Zubimendi was expected to be the first signing of the club’s new Arne Slot era, only for the Euro 2024 winner to turn down the move to remain at Real Sociedad.
The midfielder, who was identified as a key target to help transition the squad into Slot’s liking, had a £51million release clause, but pressure from the La Liga club to remain put saw him opt to continue playing at the Anoeta Stadium.
The rejection is a huge blow to Liverpool ahead of the new season, who not only parted ways with Klopp after last season but have undergone significant changes to their executive structure with the return of former sporting director Michael Edwards as chief executive and Richard Hughes filling the sporting director role after moving from Bournemouth.
And while club legend Carragher noted the mitigating factors in Zubimendi’s complex release clause, he branded the failure to sign Zubimendi as a poor look for the new regime.
“It wasn’t just a buy-out clause where Liverpool go and pay it, I was reading about it, the player has to almost do it,” Carragher said on Stick to Football, brought to you by Sky Bet . “It wasn’t as easy as it sounded for Liverpool.
“But to be honest it’s not a great look for Liverpool. They’ve gone for this sitting midfield player, who is a different type of sitting midfield player to what Jürgen Klopp would have gone for, he went for Fabinho, this guy was obviously more of a footballer, technical player.
He added: “A lot has been made of Liverpool bringing the old regime back, in terms of getting deals done and transfers done – and it was always made out that we’re the best in the class, we’re the best in the business, and listen they did a great job.
“But to not get the first deal done for the new manager, the optics are not great, it doesn’t look good at all, and it’s a position Liverpool have been looking for, for probably three seasons. They tried to buy [Aurélien] Tchouaméni who went to Real Madrid, they obviously lost [Moisés] Caicedo, [Roméo] Lavia, and now they’ve lost this player.”
New manager Slot took over the club following the departure of Klopp after nine years at the helm. The former boss often played a key role in the recruitment process during his time with the club.. And Carragher believes that if the German were still at the helm, a deal for Zubimendi would have been reached.
“People speak about Liverpool’s way of doing things – you can’t underestimate how important Jürgen Klopp was in getting players to come,” he said. “So, we talk about the transfer committee and they did this, they did that – what Liverpool are brilliant at is bringing transfer fees in. And that’s nothing to do with the manager, because I think when a manager wants a player to go, the club get on with that.
“Liverpool got a great fee the other day for [Fábio] Carvalho to Brentford – that’s what they are brilliant at. But in terms of bringing people in, I think the manager plays a big role in that, and this is not me having a go at Arne Slot. But when Virgil van Dyke is coming to Liverpool, when Liverpool were third or fourth in the league – I think it’s the Klopp factor that gets them.”
He added: “I think there would be more chance if Jürgen Klopp was there [getting Zubimendi transfer over the line]. Maybe just his personality.”