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Zubimendi’s Decision: A Missed Opportunity for Liverpool

Zubimendi Chooses Loyalty Over Liverpool Move

Finally, the Martín Zubimendi ordeal ended late on Monday evening, as the Spanish international chose to commit his future to his boyhood club, Real Sociedad. Following five days of negotiations and reports that the 25-year-old was keen to cut ties with his long-term employers, a stuttering approach by the Liverpool Sporting Director, Richard Hughes, allowed the 10-cap Spain International to make an about-turn, eventually altering his thinking and giving him the chance to join the Anfield giants.

The Missed Opportunity: What Went Wrong in Liverpool’s Approach

I assume that the player was initially keen when the Reds made their approach; however, instead of implementing the intricate process of terminating the player’s contract with haste, the Liverpool hierarchy attempted to negotiate a more favourable payment structure. Given this theory, logic does point to that interim period allowing various Sociedad officials time to perform a charm offensive and encourage their star man to remain. Ultimately, as soon as the player was welcomed back into the fold (at his training camp in Spain), there should have been an urgency (by Hughes) to get the loyal academy graduate away from his hometown club as soon as possible. By allowing negotiations to drag on even for a few days, it allowed successful propaganda to be orchestrated, that would see his intentions pulled back to signing a new deal. The lure of an elite footballing institution such as Liverpool Football Club, is not always enough to entice that which they desire, therefore, a more competitive approach should have been undertaken to get their man.

Parallels with the Past: Lessons from Gerrard’s Loyalty to Liverpool

Once upon a time, Steven Gerrard rejected the overtures of Chelsea’s infectious manager, José Mourinho, who was spending millions on their former owner, Roman Abramovich. That horrendous period from initial contact to resolution (back in 2004) was a living nightmare for the distraught Anfield fanbase. Fortunately for adoring support, the unbreakable pull on his Merseyside heartstrings led the former Liverpool captain to reaffirm a commitment to his beloved team. This very same occurrence is apparently what has happened with the exquisite holding midfielder Martín Zubimendi. Regardless of loyalty, this is still a scenario that could have been averted by a more proactive approach by the former Bournemouth Technical Director, Richard Hughes.

The Path Forward: What Richard Hughes Must Do Next

The best course of action is to react and pivot down the shortlist of targets, those who can fulfil the wants of the new Liverpool Head Coach, Arne Slot. It was not until last Wednesday that the expectant support became aware of the primary target from Spain. As with certain targets that have previously spurned the chance to join the six-time European Cup winners, Liverpool, Jude Bellingham, Roméo Lavia, Moisés Caicedo, and Aurélien Tchouaméni, all proved that attempting to secure top young talent is not always straightforward. With so many obstacles needed to overcome both internally and externally, the chances of enticing brilliance are becoming a consistent failure by the Red’s hierarchy.

Exploring Alternatives: Secondary Targets for Liverpool

Sports journalists who state that the Reds will not be targeting a secondary option are merely regurgitating a standard response from the club. With a little over two weeks left of the summer transfer window, there is still plenty of time left to secure that which is needed, as well as move on assets who are deemed undesirable. The list below was relative only a week ago, and despite the exclusion of one name, it remains a solid list of available defensive midfielders.

Alan Varela

Ederson

Morten Hjulmand

Manuel Ugarte

Manu Koné

The Importance of Secondary Targets: Learning from Past Successes

I hope that by the end of the week, some positive news of recruitment comes to the fore as corners of the fanbase begin to lose what little patience remains. There was once a scenario where both Mario Götze and Julian Brandt were the primary targets that turned down their former manager, Jürgen Klopp. Their own rejections led to the signing of secondary targets, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah, who went on to have legendary careers and show that the first choice does not always have to be the best choice.

Steven Smith

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