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Jamie Carragher reckons Mikel Arteta is behind Martin Zubimendi's decision not to join Liverpool last year.
The Spanish midfielder, who completed his switch to Arsenal this summer, had been on the verge of moving to the Reds in 2024. Liverpool had struck a £51 million ($69 million) agreement with Real Sociedad and sorted out personal terms with Zubimendi.
Everything was set in stone - until the 26-year-old suddenly changed his mind at the last moment. In public, Zubimendi insisted his decision stemmed from devotion to his childhood club.
Carragher, though, believes there's more to it. He reckons Arteta quietly convinced the player to hold fire for Arsenal, laying the groundwork for a switch to north London well before it materialised.
"I'm convinced now that Arteta stole him from Liverpool," Carragher told the Stick to Football podcast.
"He'd agreed to come to Liverpool. He said he was coming - and at the last minute he said, 'I don't want to come. I'll have another year [at Sociedad].'
"Arteta's from the Basque area. There's no doubt he's been into him and said, 'We're signing [Mikel] Merino this season, we'll come for you next season.'
"The deal was done about halfway through the season. He definitely stopped [Liverpool's] deal. That's why Zubimendi didn't go to Liverpool. I think Arteta got into him."
Arteta, a native of San Sebastian and former player for Real Sociedad, was reportedly working behind the scenes with his old club to secure Zubimendi for a hefty £55M ($74.4M) in late 2024.
The transfer was finalized in July, with the Spanish midfielder now set to join forces with Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard in what could be a formidable Arsenal midfield.
Liverpool's failure to secure Zubimendi was a significant blow during a relatively quiet summer transfer window last year. Their only major acquisition was Italian forward Federico Chiesa, who struggled to secure regular playing time.
Despite this setback, Liverpool, under the guidance of Arne Slot, clinched its 20th Premier League title, finishing a comfortable 10 points ahead of Arsenal.
This season, Arteta and Zubimendi are determined to narrow that gap. However, Liverpool's substantial summer spending of more than $400M - bringing in Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and potentially Marc Guehi, Giovanni Leoni, and Alexander Isak - makes their task all the more challenging.
Despite a slight hiccup in the Community Shield, where Liverpool fell to Crystal Palace on penalties following a 2-2 draw, there were promising signs. Goals from Ekitike and Frimpong, coupled with an impressive performance from Wirtz, offered a sneak peek into what Slot's revamped team could potentially bring to the table, although a few tactical tweaks may be needed first.
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