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Personal terms were settled, with the Spanish midfielder set to more than triple his Real Sociedad wages by moving to Anfield.

The club viewed him as the perfect No.

The midfielder, faced with the reality of leaving his boyhood club Real Sociedad.

And it was something he was not willing to do at that moment in time.

Fast-forward twelve months, and the scene is dramatically different.

Martin Zubimendi finds himself in Singapore, wearing Arsenal’s new away kit and speaking enthusiastically about his “new heights” with the Gunners.

And speaking to reporters while on pre-season tour, the Spanish international explained that it just wasn’t the right time to leave his boyhood club last summer:

“The first question I had to answer was whether I wanted to stay at Sociedad.

It wasn’t the right time [to leave last summer],” he said as quoted by Sky Sports.

“I saw that Sociedad was still a step forward for me and the things I had to give were important.

So the best thing for me was to stay.”

Asked about the impact of Arteta, “I don’t know what he saw in me but what I saw in him is that he’s a top coach in Europe.”

“When I wanted to leave I wanted a quality coach.

I’ve seen how obsessive and detailed he is with his game so I think I’ve found the right one.

“It’s a change for me.

And since the first day I’ve been here I’ve noticed the greatness of this club and I’m adapting.”

The emergence of Ryan Gravenberch means that for most Liverpool fans, the Zubimendi saga remains a fever dream.

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