Liverpool manager Arne Slot is already successfully imprinting his vision of football at the club, making the transition from legendary manager Jurgen Klopp a less daunting one that many would have otherwise expected.
After four matches, Liverpool are in the top four of the Premier League, and Slot has gotten the most out of two of the club’s most talented players, left winger Luis Diaz and breakout center midfielder Ryan Gravenberch.
The performances of the latter have been a particular boost for Liverpool, who came into the 2024/25 season with question marks in midfield. With his legitimately world-class displays, the former Ajax and Bayern Munich midfielder has answered many of those questions.
Yet there are more than a few Liverpool supporters who would like the Reds to sign a true anchoring point in midfield next summer to be the No. 6 that injuries prevented Thiago Alcantara from truly being at Anfield.
Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi appears to be at the top of many fans’ wishlists, as the top-class Spanish defensive midfielder is also wanted by Arsenal and Barcelona.
To this point, Zubimendi has not budged, showing less than zero interest in leaving La Real for the Premier League – or for LaLiga “rivals” Barcelona, for that matter.
And despite the rumors linking Zubimendi to Liverpool, Arne Slot doesn’t appear to be entertaining a chase for the Spanish No. 6, saying, “There is no point talking about Zubimendi anymore because he stayed with Real Sociedad. Also, we’ve moved on and we are really happy with Ryan Gravenberch”.
We’ll see if Slot still sings that tune if Zubimendi shows more interest in leaving, but it is nice to see the manager backing Gravenberch while addressing the rumors to throw even more support behind the 22-year-old Dutch midfielder.
Gravenberch and Zubimendi have different profiles, but Gravenberch is a deeper-lying midfielder. So in that way, Slot’s support means a lot and shows how much he is backing the former Bayern flop.
That said, Zubimendi is an exceptional player, too, and could help Liverpool. It is a bit disappointing to see how dismissive Slot is of Zubimendi as an option, but it’s also very possible he is playin possum and keeping a plan for a Zubi swoop close to the vest.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He covered Real Madrid from 2019-2022 for The Real Champs as a site manager. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.