Liverpool fans are feeling like they are living in a time loop as the club faces similar problems once again. The dreadfully long saga involving Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi ended in disappointment as the new season drew near.

Liverpool are the only club in Europe who have not enjoyed a single incoming first-team signing so far this summer. Last season’s anti-climactic end is still fresh in the mind of the fanbase who want their new head coach backed.

Liverpool will face a bigger fixture list next season as the format of the Champions League changes, adding more scrutiny. The clubs competing in Europe face the daunting task of maintaining a level of high quality throughout the coming season.

Rotation policy will play a crucial role and each team needs sufficient natural options in every position to compete consistently. However, Liverpool have opted to maintain their stance on having one priority target without any analysis of a potential alternative.

While Arne Slot has inherited a very strong squad from Jurgen Klopp, the team has some gaps that need to be rectified. The new head coach deserves backing from the upper hierarchy in such a high-pressure job with the right recruitments.

According to Paul Joyce (via The Times), Liverpool viewed Zubimendi as the only available option for the number six role. He wrote:

“It emerged that the club are unlikely simply to scroll further down a list of targets and set the wheels in motion for a move for someone else. In Liverpool’s view, it was Zubimendi or no one. They do not believe there are available alternatives.”

Joyce’s words have irked many fans on social media who would exercise patience in such a situation during the previous windows. Liverpool have resorted to staying put instead of making panic buys during the previous windows which is not the problem.

The problem is the idea that Hughes’ assessment of Zubimendi did not contain any other alternative option to challenge him. Zubimendi’s loyalty towards Real Sociedad made him reject Arsenal, Barcelona and several other top clubs in the past.

That information tells us that the negotiations always had a bigger probability of failure from the beginning. A similar situation happened when Liverpool jumped into the transfer race for Moises Caicedo last summer. Caicedo was already negotiating a deal with Chelsea and Liverpool jumped into the situation with a high probability of failure.

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Furthermore, this situation is nothing like the past situations when Liverpool patiently waited for the target until the next window. They signed Virgil van Dijk during the January window after failing to secure the deal in the summer. In short, Liverpool should have alternatives for players who are not visibly available as their situation makes them a luxury signing. Whereas, the number six position is a necessity for the Reds, irrespective of the make-shift options right now.