Arsenal boosted in Merino quest as Zubimendi turns down offer from Liverpool

So it appears that Liverpool apparently decided to go for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as their 2024 marquee signing. That transfer move certainly caught the Gooners’ attention, as Arsenal tried to bring the Spaniard to the Premier League in the winter of 2023, like the Reds are trying to do now.

The La Liga midfielder declined the chance to join Arsenal, and many fans were curious to see if he would move to Merseyside. Well, it turns out that despite the Arne Slot-side being pretty confident about the Spaniard joining them, he has actually rejected their offer and decided to stay at Sociedad. He’s even set to sign a new deal! This decision has left many PL fans shocked, but interestingly enough, it actually works in Arsenal’s favour.

According to reports from Spain, Sociedad was not interested in letting Zubimendi and Merino go. In fact, they were willing to offer the two players new contracts to become the highest paid at the club. So, it seems Zubimendi has accepted the club’s offer, while Merino is still keen on leaving.

Now that Zubimendi is staying, wouldn’t Sociedad find it easier to let Merino leave? In the end, it may turn out that Liverpool’s missed transfer opportunity actually benefits Arsenal. If the Reds had signed Zubimendi, it would have been more challenging to convince Sociedad to let Merino, aother one of the highly regarded La Liga stars, leave so easily.