Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has accused Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta of stealing one of the Reds’ signings after the “deal was done”.
The Reds and the Gunners have both had impressive summers in the transfer window with Liverpool and Arsenal each signing six players.
Arsenal signed Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in a deal worth around £60m this summer after the long-term Liverpool target finally decided to leave Spain.
And Zubimendi decided to turn down a move to Anfield last summer after a transfer had seemed a formality with the Spain international previously expressing that he was open to a move.
When asked in September what his friends thought about the links to Liverpool and if they had swayed his decision, Zubimendi replied: “No, no, my friends are clear that whatever I decide will be the best.
“There is no pressure whatsoever.”
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Zubimendi added: “Real Sociedad for me is my life, I think I have spent half my life there. A lot of what I am is part of La Real, it is my life.”
And now Carragher suspects that Arteta was behind Zubimendi’s decision to reject a move to Liverpool as the Arsenal head coach “got into him” about a transfer.
Carragher said on the Stick to Football podcast: “I’m convinced now that Mikel Arteta definitely stole him from Liverpool. He had 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].’
“Mikel 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. Arteta definitely stopped [Liverpool’s] deal.
“That’s why Zubimendi didn’t go to Liverpool. I think Arteta got into him. Listen, I’m not having a go at him, that’s just management.”
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Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy insists that Zubimendi will be “just as important a signing” as Viktor Gyokeres for Arsenal this season.
Murphy told BBC Sport: “Gyokeres is a powerhouse and he is going to score a lot of goals, there is no doubt about that.
“But Zubimendi is just as important a signing because Thomas Partey was such an big player for them in midfield last season.
“With Jorginho going too, bringing in Christian Norgaard was a clever bit of business.
“He is a really clever footballer, who does his defensive work really well. They will be there or thereabouts again.”
