Zubimendi: Liverpool move wasn't at 'right time'

Martín Zubimendi has said helium turned down Liverpool past summertime due to the fact that "it wasn't the close time" to permission Real Sociedad and expressed his anticipation helium tin beryllium the difference-maker successful Arsenal's bid for glory.

The 26-year-old completed a £51 cardinal ($67m) determination to Arsenal earlier this month which was the culmination of a treble transportation which saw Mikel Merino marque the aforesaid power successful 2024.

Liverpool were successful precocious talks with Sociedad implicit Zubimendi but the Spain planetary opted to stay astatine the nine for different season, during which clip Arsenal won the conflict for his signature.

Speaking for the archetypal clip connected the club's preseason circuit to Singapore, Zubimendi said: "It wasn't an casual clip for maine because, I wanted to enactment astatine Real, but erstwhile offers travel in, you commencement reasoning astir your options.

"The archetypal question I had to reply was whether I wanted to permission Real, and it wasn't the close time. I felt that Real offered maine much opportunities and that I inactive had a batch to learn, truthful staying astatine Real was the champion determination for me.

"I don't cognize what helium [Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta] saw successful me, but I saw him arsenic 1 of the apical coaches successful Europe. At the extremity of the day, I wanted a prime manager erstwhile I near Real Sociedad.

"I deliberation I've recovered him. In the fewer days I've been here, I've seen however meticulous helium is astir each facet of the game, truthful I deliberation he's the one."

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Arsenal person not won immoderate silverware since the 2020 FA Cup and were narrowly beaten by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain successful the Champions League semifinals past season.

"Ultimately, I judge that shot comes down to details, particularly successful the Champions League," Zubimendi said. "I consciousness that Arsenal were the lone squad who genuinely stood up to PSG, and they fto it gaffe due to the fact that of insignificant details. It's a agelong season, and injuries play an important role, truthful the less we have, the better."

Asked if helium could beryllium the difference-maker, Zubimendi said: "I anticipation so. The astir important happening astir this nine is that they larn from erstwhile seasons. I deliberation the lessons they've learned from however past play ended volition beryllium cardinal to getting adjacent person to this year's targets."