Liverpool target Martin Zubimendi idolises the club legend who taught him everything
When it comes to signing during the transfer window, what really matters is quality, rather than quantity.
AND Liverpool's first video seems destined to demonstrate exactly that.
They have their eyes set on young talent Martín Zubimendi, who looks set to follow in the footsteps of a true club legend.
He Real society The midfielder has just spent a dream summer with Spainwhere he was part of the team that won Euro 2024.
The 25-year-old played a key role in the winning campaign, coming off the bench in both the semi-final and final as Spain claimed a record fourth European Championship victory.
While it looks like he will continue to grace the international squad for a few more years, his club career could take an exciting new turn this summer.
talkSPORT previously reported That new boss of the Reds Arne's Slot are considering the Spaniard as a possible first signing and could soon trigger his £51m release clause.
The Real Sociedad youth product has spent four years in the first team, but could now be ready to move to the Premier league.
And one club legend he will surely hope to emulate if he does indeed make the move is none other than Xabi Alonso.
Before taking charge of Bayer Leverkusen, Alonso crossed paths with Zubimendi while working in a different role at Real Sociedad.
The 42-year-old previously spent three years as B-team coach and during that time built a particularly special relationship with the young midfielder.
And when asked about Zubimendi's potential, he couldn't help but praise his former pupil.
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“Martin is a player that every coach would want,” said Alonso The Guardian. “He is generous, he always thinks more about his teammates than himself. He has the ability to create play, to make those around him better, always offering solutions; to improve the play.
“He understands what the next step is before the ball comes to him. He has that ability to organize, to be a pivot. I loved working with him.”
And the feeling is very much mutual, as Zubimendi also found himself praising his former coach.
“He's an idol, a role model, so I'm delighted that he says nice things about me,” he told The Guardian.
“I wasn’t with him for a full season because of the pandemic, but they were very nice months,” he added. “When he arrived I started to play more; with Xabi I had a run of games. I felt the affection he had for me, which perhaps comes from sharing the position. He made an effort to teach me things, to teach me.”
“With him I learned to recognize and differentiate pressures, to overcome them. Before I played as I more or less naturally played. With him I began to really understand the concepts of ball output, of play construction. He insisted a lot on analysis. We did a review, with inflatables placed where the opponent would be.”
Alonso spent five years as a Liverpool player and scored 19 goals in his 210 appearances.
During his time with the Reds, he also won four trophies with the club: an FA Cup, a Community Shield, a Champions League title and a UEFA Super Cup.
If Zubimendi's career so far is anything to go by, he could soon be a major factor in achieving similar accolades at Liverpool.
Not only did he help Real Sociedad qualify for the Champions League this season, but he also shone as an individual player, recording more touches, passes and ball possession than any other teammate at the club last season.
The midfielder has been compared on more than one occasion to the Barcelona and Spanish legend. Sergio Busquets thanks to his skillful role as a pivot in midfield.
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His technique on the ball and composure under pressure mirror that of Alonso himself, and he has been praised for his ability to find space and make intelligent runs into the box.
Overall, Slot appears to be making a shrewd move by targeting him; the question is whether he can pull it off.
Ultimately, the biggest hurdle Anfield will have to overcome is Zubimendi's potential reluctance to leave his boyhood club behind.
While speaking at Euro 2024, he did not appear to be entertaining the idea of a big signing.
“Where am I going to play next season? I'm going to be at Real Sociedad,” he said in an interview with El Diario Vasco, via Sports stadium“I have a contract with Real Sociedad and that’s where I feel most comfortable.”
So Slot and his team will first have to change the mentality of a midfielder who is clearly very attached to his roots.
His success in that endeavour could well be a good indication of what exactly awaits Liverpool in the coming season.
