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Martin Zubimendi has made the decision to stick to his boyhood club Real Sociedad rather than make the switch to Liverpool. He seemed ready for a move to a massive European giant after playing 188 games for the Basque club. However, although the Reds were prepared to sign him after his regularly impressive performances, he eventually turned them down.
There could be different reasons for the decision, including loyalty to Sociedad, where he has grown into a remarkable midfielder. However, it is worth noting that he is not the first player to reject a move to Anfield in recent years.
Some clubs have a strong appeal to footballers, and others don't. Judging by how the past few transfer windows have been, it's easy to think Liverpool might be falling into the second category of clubs. The Merseyside giants have been struggling to land their targets, and Zubimendi is only the latest failure in a number of high-profile chases.
So, without further ado, let's take a look at five players who rejected a move to Liverpool:
#5 Eduardo Camavinga - Snubbed Liverpool for Real Madrid
Eduardo Camavinga came into the limelight during his time at Rennais where he broke through to the first team from their youth squad as a teenager. He played a remarkable 88 games for the French outfit, impressing top clubs across Europe.
In the summer of 2021, Camavinga was targeted by Liverpool to replace the outgoing Wijnaldum, and he seemed perfect for the role (via AnfieldBuzz). Rennais was willing to let him go for about €30m as he had just one year left on his contract and was unwilling to extend. Ultimately, he chose to snub the Reds, who had been heavily linked to him, signing for Real Madrid instead.
#4 Moises Caicedo - Snubbed Liverpool for Chelsea
Moises Caicedo was hot cake last summer, with Chelsea and Arsenal vying for his signature after a brilliant season at Brighton, where he played 43 games. The young midfielder was the hottest Premier League prospect that summer, and the Blues had the finances to make the move happen.
However, Liverpool looked to pull off a last-minute deal, coming in with an offer to match the fee Chelsea were offering. Brighton were happy to accept the Reds' offer, but the Ecuadorian midfielder rejected it (via Fabrizio Romano). He only had eyes for Stamford Bridge, and he moved there in a €116 million deal.
#3 Romeo Lavia - Snubbed Liverpool for Chelsea
In the same transfer window, Liverpool were burnt twice by Chelsea. It was quite the frustrating summer for the Anfield hierarchy, who rued their failed attempt to hijack the Blues' Caicedo deal. The London club gave them extra troubles though, pulling off a deadline day hijack of their priority target Romeo Lavia.
The Reds may have had the last laugh in this case, as Lavia eventually spent the entire season injured and unable to play for Chelsea. However, he still gets a feature on this list as he looked forward to an Anfield move but ended up snubbing the team when Stamford Bridge came calling.
#2 Enzo Fernandez - Snubbed the Reds for Chelsea
Liverpool couldn't catch a break from Chelsea last summer. However, in the winter transfer window of 2023, the Blues managed to pick up Enzo Fernandez. The Reds notably reposted a news piece on their official website that said they had reached a pre-agreement with the player.
However, Fernandez's 2022 World Cup performance for Argentina made other top teams keep him on their radar. The Reds were clearly interested in him, but unfortunately for them, the Blues paid the first instalment of his €121m release clause to Benfica and signed him.
#1 Martin Zubimendi - Snubbed Merseyside to stay at Real Sociedad
Why always midfielders? This summer, Martin Zubimendi emerged as a target for Anfield. However, he rejected the transfer offer and chose to stay back at Real Sociedad.
Zubimendi was lauded as one of the best in La Liga, holding things together in the middle of the park for Sociedad across 31 league games. He was also important for Spain, as he played four games at Euro 2024, helping them lift the trophy as eventual winners.
While these performances attracted the Reds to his services, his snub will not go down too easily with the Anfield faithful.
