After more than three years of transfer setbacks and unrelenting speculation, Liverpool’s protracted search for their dream defensive midfielder could well be nearing its conclusion.
The Reds have long been lacking an elite No. 6 to anchor their engine room, having seen top targets Aurélien Tchouaméni and Moises Caicedo favour moves to Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively over the past few seasons.
Wataru Endo was able to plug the void last term following his £16.2m switch from Stuttgart however, at 31, he is not viewed as the long-term solution to a problem that has plagued Liverpool since the decline and subsequent departure of former Ballon d’Or nominee Fabinho.
And Arne Slot could soon see his midfield ranks bolstered, with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi the Reds’ ideal candidate to take the reins at No. 6.
The club are keen to make the Spain international the first major signing of the Slot era and it is understood the 25-year-old has a release clause of €60million (£51.65m) in his current contract.
His arrival at Anfield is not yet a foregone conclusion – both Arsenal and Barcelona have been unable to convert their longstanding interest in Zubimendi into a successful transfer – but the midfielder appears to tick plenty of boxes for Liverpool as they seek to close the gap on the Gunners and Manchester City.
A deep-lying playmaker in the mould of Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets, Zubimendi was part of the Spain squad that triumphed at this summer’s European Championship, starting the group win over Albania and making brief substitute outings against Croatia and in the semi-final victory over France.
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