They are young — Zubimendi reveals why he joined Arsenal after rejecting Liverpool

Martin Zubimendi has settled brilliantly at Arsenal and the Premier League, immediately stamping his mark on the team and cementing himself as a starter. However, his arrival to the Premier League could have been earlier, as Liverpool made a serious effort to sign him in 2024.

He rejected Liverpool's offer to remain at his boyhood club, Real Sociedad. The following summer, however, Arsenal tested his loyalty and got their man. In a recent interview with Sid Lowe, while on international break, Martin explained why he rejected Liverpool and his decision to subsequently accept Arsenal's offer. 

Liverpool zeroed in on Zubimendi during the 2024 summer transfer window and were prepared to trigger his £51 million release. The move seemed close, with Liverpool identifying him as a leading target for their “No. 6” role. 

 But despite the financial offer, Zubimendi ultimately rejected the chance to join them. He said it “wasn’t the right time” to leave Real Sociedad, feeling he still had personal development to do, and believed staying in his boyhood club would afford him more stability and more opportunities to grow in a team he knew well. 

In his interview with The Guardian, he was asked about the choice, and he had the following to say: “When any proposal comes, the first question has to be whether to stay at La Real,” he told Sid.

“And it wasn’t the right moment [to go]. I stayed and it was a hard season but I learnt a lot. I wanted to step forward, take that weight after others went.” 

Arsenal have had a longstanding interest in the Basque midfielder. Last summer they took a swing and were able to secure an agreement on verbal terms. 

Still, the deal dragged on, and fans became fearful and apprehensive that the deal would fall through, given Zubimendi's loyalty to La Reale and Real Madrid's reported interest. 

Asked why he eventually chose Arsenal, he said, “I had watched Arsenal and I liked everything I saw in terms of passion, youth, the feeling you got watching them.”

“And when Mikel Arteta called me … Well, if you’ve ever spoken to him, you’ll know that he can be very convincing. He’s mad about football, crazy about having everything under control, trying to get something from every little detail. He’s very clear on everything and the proposal he had was the best for me.”