“Where’s the plan B?” – Liverpool fans left frustrated after Martin Zubimendi U-turn

Liverpool fans have been left frustrated by the club’s failure to sign priority target Martin Zubimendi – and even more so with claims there is no alternative.

Zubimendi pulled out of a proposed move to Anfield on Monday night, informing the club of his decision to stay at Real Sociedad.

It came after confidence within Liverpool that the 25-year-old would join Arne Slot‘s squad, with sporting director Richard Hughes ready to sanction a €60 million outlay.

Now, the Reds head into the new campaign – which kicks off on Saturday at Ipswich – having yet to address the area their new head coach views as their main concern.

Following the news of Zubimendi’s U-turn, it has even been widely reported that the Reds’ recruitment team do not expect to sign an alternative No. 6.

The situation has left supporters frustrated. Here’s how they reacted on Twitter, Facebook and the This Is Anfield comments.

The pressure is on after a “disastrous start”…

Pressure is on for the new structure now. Reduced a 3 month window to a 3 week window in the name of assessing the squad, now missed out on our top target, no key contract renewals done, and got the captain saying he thinks we need strengthening.

— barry (@BackseatsmanLFC) August 12, 2024

Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards have had the worst possible start. Waited till August to make a signing and missed out on their top target after chasing him for weeks.

Beyond that we’ve let contracts tick down and still haven’t offered new ones.

Disastrous start #LFC

— SM? (@SauceLikeSharin) August 12, 2024

No matter how optimistic a fan you are it's objectively bad that Liverpool have bought zero senior players with 5 days to go to the start of the season with van Dijk, Trent and Salah still with 1 year left on their contracts. Klopp worked miracles before, Slot will need to too.

— Red (@TaintlessRed) August 12, 2024

“That’s why you never wait too long in the transfer window. Waiting for Euros, Copa and even Olympics to end just to identify ONE target and when it fails that’s it? This is too ridiculous. Where’s the plan B?

“Arne Slot has already lived up to his end of bargain. Edwards and Hughes meanwhile? No advancements in contracts, no incoming transfers (even when the captain himself feels that the club needs strengthening). This is too insane.

“Optimistic for the on-the-field revolution, but off-the-field? Nah.”

– Josh in the comments.

No signings. No contract renewals.

— Aaron Cutler (@aaron_cutler) August 12, 2024

Richard Hughes’ PR is taking a battering tonight. And I’m not going to defend the new regime — Liverpool are definitely undercooked going into the new season. No 6 is a glaring weakness in the squad.

On this one, though, Martin Zubimendi had given his word to join the club. If…

— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) August 12, 2024

And reports there is no plan B haven’t gone down well…

It’s one thing to get rejected by a Real Sociedad player, it’s another thing to throw in the towel after rejection.

Liverpool desperately need a defensive midfielder — they can’t afford to give up their search simply because Zubimendi slammed the door in their face.

— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) August 12, 2024

Liverpool thought they had Zubimendi and seemingly attempted to get Willian Pacho too.

Clearly going for high quality signings, but the failure to land any so far makes this a very disappointing summer.

Not signing an alternative would be negligent. Again.

— Matt Ladson (@mattladson) August 12, 2024

Whatever the reason Zubimendi has rejected Liverpool the burning issue is the club have now got less than three weeks to find a top quality defensive midfielder – which as History has shown is one of the requirements to win the Premier League.

— Neil Docking (@NeilDocking) August 12, 2024

“Is it the case that it was Zubimendi or nothing? Sure Macca and Endo could play there but it really isn’t the best solution as it is relying on other players to step up to play the advanced midfield positions and not many of them impressed there last season. You’ve got to wonder how it has been left to come to this.”

– Mawuena Zewu Glover on Facebook.

Listen, Richard Hughes was told “yes”, before Martin Zubimendi changed his mind. There’s not much you can do about that.

BUT to tell us “at present Liverpool are not expecting to sign alternative No6” is absolute disgrace and I’m not having it.

— – (@AnfieldRd96) August 12, 2024

No issue with Zubimendi choosing to stay at Sociedad.

Not going for an alternative would be a complete shambles.

Feel free to lose your heads now.

— Nostalgia Merchant (@HendrickD82) August 12, 2024

Only Liverpool could wait 2 and a half months into the window before making a move and then turn around and say there isn't enough time to move for alternatives. Incredible.

— Green Scouser (@Green_Scouser) August 12, 2024

Next summer as it stands you’re going to be replacing Trent, VVD, Salah & potentially even Alisson? Yet we’re choosing not to pursue another 6 now? What is going on?

— L4 (@L4Kop10) August 12, 2024

“All this ‘Gravenberch and Jones can play there, Mac is a specialist, Trent can play there too’ is not how a team wanting to challenge Man city for the title behaves.

“We have identified a weakness in the squad and have failed to fill up that slot for the past three years. If that’s not incomPetence I don’t know what is.”

– Srikanth Suresh in the comments.

Prodigious as he may be, it’s not fair in the slightest for Trey Nyoni to be in these reports of why #LFC could think they have enough without Zubimendi.

Only turned 17 six weeks ago and needs no more pressure than he’s already got. https://t.co/q9KqCgxvdP

— Jack Lusby (@LusbyJack) August 12, 2024

However; looks a bit amateurish now the player you’ve publicly gone all in on after encouraging signs, says no thanks after all. Liverpool have needed a top-class 6 for a long time, so this is a bad look and smacks of poor planning if no real option B exists.

— Chris Williams (@Chris78Williams) August 12, 2024

Of course, with over a fortnight to go until the transfer window closes, there is still time for Liverpool to push for the signings fans are hoping for.

It has only been a week since news of the club’s interest in Zubimendi broke, and there is every chance Hughes and Co. have been working in the background on alternatives.

But the signs are not promising at this stage, and supporters are rightly upset at how this story has developed.