LONDON (AFP) – Liverpool manager Arne Slot said yesterday that key transfer target Martin Zubimendi had “decided not to come” to Anfield from Real Sociedad.
The Euro 2024 winner had been identified as the man best placed to fill a defensive midfield role for Liverpool in what would have been their first major signing since Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp as boss.
“I’ve said many times already that our squad is really strong and it’s not so easy to find players who can help us or improve the squad,” Dutchman Slot told reporters ahead of his team’s Premier League opener at Ipswich today.
“Zubimendi was one of them to be fair, but he decided not to come. We go forward with the ones we have. (Wataru) Endo did well in pre-season.
“We’re in a good place. Richard (Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director) is trying to strengthen the squad. Zubimendi decided not to come, we did every effort. If a player decides not to come then it’s obvious he’s not coming.”
Slot insisted Liverpool could still challenge for the title after finishing third last season even if there was a lack of new recruits to Anfield.
“That argument I don’t understand – if you don’t strengthen the team you become weaker,” said Slot.
“That’s a bit weird because normally you would either stay the same – and I truly believe that (on) the training ground you can help players and the teams to improve, and that is also what happened here in the recent years, that the training ground really helped the team to improve… If you keep bringing players in sometimes the energy in the group goes down as well.”
