Luis de la Fuente has labelled Martin Zubimendi as ‘the second best holding player in the world’, adding insult to injury for Liverpool.
Zubimendi was on the brink of becoming new Reds boss Arne Slot’s first summer signing in August, with his £51million release clause activated and his current club Real Sociedad left helpless. However, in a brutal rejection, Zubimendi turned down the Merseyside team, opting to stay at the club he’s been a part of with since he was 12.
Slot’s attention then shifted to winger Federico Chiesa, who was snapped up for a bargain £12.5m, and potential Alisson Becker successor Giorgi Mamardashvili. Speaking before Spain’s match against Serbia earlier this week, De la Fuente lavished praise on his star midfielder.
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“I’ve publicly stated that, for me, Martin is the second-best player in the world [behind Rodri],” he shared, adding: “We are incredibly lucky to have these two – who I consider the best players in the world. But we also have other fantastic players who’ve been here and are with us now – another fantastic player.”
When questioned about why he rejected the Reds, Zubimendi attributed his love for his homeland as the reason for staying put, further confessing he doesn’t regret declining the move. “It is ‘true’ that there was a lot of noise,” Zubimendi admitted last month. He continued (via the Mirror): “I went through uncomfortable moments. The best thing for me was to stay here, and I was happy and at peace.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Of course, I don’t regret it. I can’t think that after four or five games at the start of the season. I made my decision from within. I thought it was the best thing to do.” Despite missing out on Zubimendi earlier, English clubs could be circling again as Manchester City’s Rodri faces a season off due to an ACL tear, with reports suggesting Zubimendi might feature in a January transfer scramble.
Liverpool have coped well, though, as Slot has seen Ryan Gravenberch dominate in midfield instead. And on the failed transfer, the Reds boss insisted: “There is no point talking about Zubimendi anymore because he stayed with Real Sociedad and we’ve moved on and we are really happy with Ryan.
“You see a Ryan who is full of confidence and that comes normally with good performances and trusting your team-mates and knowing that you can do what you have to at that level.”