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 1st team 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 rejection is a huge blow to Liverpool ahead of the new season
while 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
Carragher
“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,”
“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.”
Carragher 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.”
Carragher believes that if the German were still at the helm, a deal for Zubimendi would have been reached.
Carra
“People speak about Liverpool’s way of doing things – you can’t underestimate how important Jürgen Klopp was in getting players to come,”
“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.”
Carra added:
“I think there would be more chance if Jürgen Klopp was there [getting Zubimendi transfer over the line]. Maybe just his personality.”
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