Steven Gerrard was on commentary duty for Arsenal's Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid and it was there he lamented a fourth player Liverpool missed out on
Steven Gerrard working as a pundit for TNT Sports' Champions League coverage
Steven Gerrard spoke honestly about one player he wishes Liverpool made a move for(Image: TNT Sport)
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Steven Gerrard has lamented Liverpool's inability to sign Arsenal ace Martin Zubimendi - the fourth transfer regret Gerrard has expressed.
The iconic Reds skipper was on punditry duty for the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final tie. At the start of the contest, Gerrard admitted he was a huge admirer of Zubimendi, who the Reds were so close to signing in the summer of 2024.
Arne Slot was on the verge of making the Spaniard his first signing as Reds manager, but the move did not materialise with the playmaker heading to Arsenal one year later. Looking back on how Liverpool missed out on his signature, Gerrard admitted he is still gutted a deal for the Euro 2024 winner could not get over the line.
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Speaking to TNT Sports, Gerrard said: "He's been given a really key role. At Liverpool, we were linked with for a long time, watched a lot of him on the back of that - (I was) disappointed that we didn't sign him on the back of that.
"Arsenal have got a fantastic player, really intelligent. I think he'll have a big boost being back in Spain tonight, back where he's from. Arsenal need a big performance from him tonight. Griezmann and Alvarez like to come short so he'll have to switch on, he's going to have to be aware. At the same time, he's got to connect Arsenal's play. He's got a pivotal role.”
Zubimendi is the fourth failed transfer Gerrard has mourned. He felt the same way about Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi, both of whom moved to Manchester City after being linked with a move to Liverpool for so long.
Martin Zubimendi during an Arsenal game
Martin Zubimendi appeared to be on the verge of a move to Liverpool in 2024(Image: 2026 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)
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He also said he wishes the club made a move for Declan Rice, before the England international moved to Arsenal for £104m. Speaking about Guehi and Semenyo, Gerrard recently said: "They should be playing for Liverpool, so that hurts even more.
"We were linked with two of those players and that would have made a big difference to Liverpool. But I've said it before on record. Two top, top players. And for the price that they got them in as well.
"One on a free. One was, you know, £60m. In today's market, they're two bargains. They're two bargains. Quality players, experienced, ready to go into the prime years of their career. International-level players. And what they've done is they've just helped kick City on at the right time."
Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo after a Manchester City game
Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo had also been linked with moves to Anfield(Image: 2026 Allstar)
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Speaking about Rice to the Smith Brothers podcast, he also said: "I love Declan Rice, I've been singing his praises for a long time. I coached Villa against West Ham before he went to Arsenal, I didn't realise how big he was because hadn't met him in person.
"You get in the tunnel and think, 'oh my god, that's some profile for a midfielder'. If you're building a midfielder, he's got a body to die for, if you're 6ft1in, 6ft2in, and have the legs, the power, that's the midfielder you want to be. He was calm in possession, an animal out of it, up and down, I really like him as a person as well.
"I think he's really getting into that class where he's becoming a world class midfielder. He's maybe one we should've tried to grab from West Ham, I don't know whether we did but imagine him in this midfield now."