Jamie Carragher has said that Martin Zubimendi had agreed to join Liverpool, before Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta “stole him”.
Zubimendi was heavily linked with a move to Liverpool last summer, but the Spain international opted to stay one more season at Real Sociedad, helping them reach the Copa del Rey semi-final and the Europa League round of 16.
The midfielder has, however, made the move to England this summer as he completed a £51million transfer to Arsenal despite reported interest from Real Madrid - now managed by his idol Xabi Alonso.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher has revealed how close Zubimendi was to joining Liverpool a year ago and believes Arteta had a huge role to play in the decision to reject a switch.
He said: “I’m convinced now that Mikel Arteta definitely stole him from Liverpool. He had agreed to come to Liverpool.
“He said he was coming – and at the last minute he said, “I don’t want to come. I’ll have another year [at Sociedad].
“Mikel Arteta’s from the Basque area. There’s no doubt he’s been into him and said ‘We’re signing [Mikel] Merino this season, we’ll come for you next season’.”
To Carragher's point, in an interview with The Athletic, Zubimendi did confirm that Arteta was a major reason for him choosing Arsenal.
“I don’t know what he (Arteta) saw in me, but I saw him as one of the top coaches in Europe,” Zubimendi said.
“I wanted a quality coach when I left Real Sociedad. I think I’ve found him. In the few days I’ve been here, I’ve seen how meticulous he is about every aspect of the game, so I think he’s the one.”
Zubimendi has already caught the eye of many Arsenal supporters in pre-season. The midfielder was superb alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in the Emirates Cup win over Athletic Club last weekend.
The 26-year-old is now in contention to make his competitive debut on Sunday as the Gunners begin their Premier League campaign away at Manchester United.
Zubimendi has played at Old Trafford three times previously in his career. The most recent one being a 4-1 loss in the Europa League round of 16 second leg last season.
