Seeing Zubimendi refuse to join Liverpool, many Reds fans feel that their hopes for a new season are bleak. Now, they think they can finish in the top four, let alone win the Premier League. Why was it that before Zubimendi rejected Liverpool, the Reds were so confident that they were rejected at a critical moment? Looking back from the process of this signing, we can find out how Liverpool intercepted Manchester United at the last moment and snatched Mane.
Before Zubimendi refused to join, Liverpool's management and major media outlets were confident in the signing. Who would have expected that Real Sociedad exerted great pressure on Zubimendi at a critical moment, and even asked him to go to the La Liga office in Madrid to pay the release fee. This undoubtedly pushed Zubimendi to the brink of a traitor, putting him under pressure like never before as a player loyal to Real Sociedad. In this situation, Zubimendi finally chose to compromise and stayed with Real Sociedad, turning down Liverpool's offer.
If you look back at how Liverpool managed to cut down when Manchester United were about to sign Sadio Mane, you can see why Zubimendi chose to turn Liverpool down at a crucial moment.
In the summer of 2016, Manchester United were also courting Sadio Mane. According to Mane's revelations in 2022, he had even reached a personal deal with Manchester United at that time. At that time, Liverpool was at a complete disadvantage in the competition. At the end of the 2015-2016 season, Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League and could not offer Sadio Mane a chance to play in Europe. Although Manchester United will not be able to participate in the Champions League, they will at least qualify for the Europa League, and they will not be able to match the deep-pocketed Manchester United in terms of salary.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's sporting director, Edwards, identified a number of issues during his personality assessment of Mane, including his late training session at Southampton and his difficulty getting along with others. For Liverpool, who have always valued the character of the players and the atmosphere in the dressing room, there was no optimism about Mane's arrival, and even called off the deal at an early stage.
However, the deal took a 180-degree turn at a critical moment. When United came close to signing Mane, Liverpool suddenly stepped in and persuaded Mane to join in an unfavourable situation. And the key figure is none other than Jurgen Klopp, who has just taken over Liverpool. He convinced Edwards that Mane's quality would make up for his lack of character and that he would change in the future at Liverpool.
Just as United were close to signing Sadio Mane, Jurgen Klopp was once again playing a key role. Years later, when Liverpool's sporting director asked why Mane and his agent chose Liverpool in the end, they said it was because they believed in Jurgen Klopp's ability, believed in his passion for Mane and believed that something special would happen at Liverpool.
This shows how important an important role a capable and charismatic coach can play at critical moments. If there is a manager like Jurgen Klopp who supports him when Zubimendi is under pressure and convinces him that a move to Liverpool is a wise choice, he may be able to resist the pressure from Real Sociedad and choose Liverpool. However, there is no such figure in Liverpool today. Zubimendi was spoken to Hughes, a manager who had just taken up his role at Liverpool, and Slot's fame and resume were not enough to convince Zuby Mendi of his future at Liverpool. When Zubimendi had doubts about joining Liverpool, it is understandable that he chose to stay at Real Sociedad in isolation.