The Reds were prepared to trigger the midfielder's £51million release clause back in August after being convinced of his desire to move to Anfield. However, the transfer did not materialise following an eleventh-hour charm offensive by his boyhood club, with Zubimendi instead opting to remain at La Real.
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So far, Liverpool haven't suffered any negative repercussions from the saga, with Ryan Gravenberch excelling in a deep-lying midfield role under Arne Slot. And, despite the fact the Reds are currently sat at the top of the Premier League table, Zubimendi last week insisted he didn't regret his decision to stay at Sociedad, who have won just two of their nine games so far this term.
According to reports in Spain, Zubimendi could be the subject of further interest from the Premier League in January with Manchester City reportedly eyeing a move for the midfielder after talisman Rodri suffered a season-ending ACL injury in last month's clash against Arsenal.
However, when quizzed on City's rumoured interest in a press conference on Tuesday ahead of Spain's upcoming UEFA Nations League clashes with Denmark and Serbia, Zubimendi once again maintained he is content to remain in San Sebastian.
“There are always rumours but until now I've always thought that the best solution for me is staying at Real Sociedad," he said. "I've still a lot of things to give to this club, I still want to grow and develop here”.
If City are to sign Zubimendi, they would need to succeed where Liverpool failed and convince the Spain international to leave the club he has represented since the age of 12. However, their pursuit of the midfielder could be aided by the fact that he has yet to sign a new contract at Sociedad, meaning a buy-out clause remains active in his deal until June 2027.
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