Arsenal officially announced that the Royal Club midfielder Zubimendi joins the transfer fee is about 65 million euros. The Telegraph disclosed that one of the major reasons why Zubimendi rejected Liverpool last year was because of Arsenal's promise.
After last summer's European Cup, Liverpool quickly operated Zubi Mendi's transfer. A few weeks after the final, he almost confirmed to join Liverpool for a transfer fee of £50 million, but just as the transfer was about to take place, Zubi Mendi chose to withdraw, which disappointed Liverpool. He later said: "I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that staying at Real Sociedad is the best choice. There are many reasons for the decision, but I chose to be a little selfish and consider the best option for myself." The Telegraph said: According to Spanish sources, when Zubimendi seriously considered the offer from Liverpool, he also received an alternative from Arsenal. Arsenal allegedly told Real Sociedad last summer that they hope to sign two midfielders. North London Club hopes Merino will join immediately, while Zubimendi will join in the summer of 2025 a year later.
This creates an extraordinary situation. This is actually an ambitious "packaged deal" involving two high-level Spanish internationals with a total cost of over £80 million (Merino is about £30 million and Zubimendi is over £50 million).
The deal, led by then-Arsenal Sports Director Edu and Assistant Sports Director Aito, the chasing of Zubimendi ultimately proved to be a stunning victory in relationship building and long-term planning. This is a top midfielder snatched from a Premier League opponent, and the deal has been preparing for nearly a year. From a financial standpoint, this long-term chase allowed Arsenal to complete the deal in a more favorable structure rather than paying the 26-year-old's termination in one lump sum.
Why is Real Sociedad willing to participate in such unusual negotiations? In large part, it was because they wanted to avoid losing Merino and Zubimendi in the same summer. The two players leaving at the same time will force them to rebuild the midfield almost completely. For Zubimendi, it is reasonable to stay for another season at San Sebastian before directly transferring to Liverpool after the European Cup. In addition, Liverpool just replaced Klopp with Slott last summer, and potential uncertainty in the transition period may have affected his decision.
From the perspective of Arsenal, there was no need to introduce a new defensive midfielder last year. In Arteta's roster, there are Jorginho, Thomas and Rice, and the team already has enough quality and depth at that position. But they know that both Jorginho and Thomas' contracts will expire in 2025, and this key position of the team needs to be adjusted soon.
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