During the 2024 summer transfer window, Martin Zubimendi came very close to leaving Real Sociedad. He was mulling over an attractive offer from Liverpool, and although it looked certain at one stage that he would leave, he ended up staying in Donostia-San Sebastian.
Zubimendi is a boyhood La Real fan, so convincing him to leave has proven to be extremely difficult for a number of clubs, not only Liverpool. However, he has now told El Diario Vasco that he is not completely closed on a possible departure at some stage. He also opened up on the situation during the summer.
“I went on vacation, and it caught me by surprise. It wasn’t something I had planned. I reacted when the situation arose. It was an uncomfortable time for me. But I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that the best option was to stay.
“I looked at my personal progression, who I am, and the club’s project. I stayed because I knew this season would be important for me in the team, and I still had steps to take. It wasn’t that hard of a decision. There were many reasons for my decision, but I was selfish and thought about what was best for me. And that was staying.
“I don’t believe in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. If you’re good and want to achieve something, it will come to you. There’s no need to rush.”
Real Sociedad would be devastated to lose Zubimendi, although they would be powerless to letting him leave if that was what he wanted. However, any club would still need to trigger his €60m release clause.
