Martin Zubimendi could face Alex Texeira regret after snubbing Arne Slot and Liverpool

Liverpool’s chase for Martin Zubimendi may be over, but the tale of Alex Teixeira could serve as a cautionary tale for the Spanish international.

After lengthy negotiations with the Real Sociedad star, Liverpool were left disappointed when Zubimendi informed the Reds’ sporting director Richard Hughes that he would be staying at the La Liga club. While this might not look great for Liverpool right now, it could be Zubimendi who ends up rueing his decision to reject Arne Slot’s offer to join the Reds – just like Teixeira once did.

The Brazilian forward was on the verge of signing for Liverpool in 2016 but opted to move to China instead. His club eventually went under, while Jurgen Klopp’s team went on to win every trophy possible.

Teixeira was a hot topic among fans during the summer of 2016, which marked Klopp’s first major transfer window in charge. With Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi, Danny Ings and Christian Benteke all battling injuries and inconsistency, Klopp shifted his focus to the attacking midfielder.

Teixeira had a successful stint at Shakhtar Donetsk, winning five Ukrainian League titles and scoring 89 goals. The Athletic reported that the 26-year-old was ready to be the first big signing of the Klopp era, with talks starting as former Reds’ CEO Ian Ayre flew out to Shakhtar’s training camp in Florida, equipped with a hefty £24.6million offer.

Teixeira had his eyes set on Liverpool as the ultimate platform to flaunt his talents and elbow his way into Brazil’s squad for the 2018 World Cup. In the heat of speculation over his move to Anfield, he gushed with anticipation: “It would be an honour to wear the Liverpool shirt.”

However, his hopes were quashed when Shakhtar Donetsk proved uncompromising and stuck a hefty €50 million (£38 million) price tag on their asset, a fee Liverpool weren’t prepared to meet. After the transfer fizzled out, Teixeira openly expressed his shock over the botched saga.

Then, in a move that stunned supporters, Teixeira sidestepped European football for the Chinese Super League, penning a deal with Jiangsu Suning – a club now defunct due to financial strife. The story took an emotional turn when Teixeira divulged his regret about not securing a spot with Liverpool: “Let’s put it like this: everyone always knew that I wanted to stay in Europe and move to the English Premier League club.”

Nonetheless, he insisted the jaunt to China was the perfect pick for him and his family at the time, pocketing £200,000 a week. This lucrative deal led to some backlash from fans, implying he was more interested in money than the game, though Jurgen Klopp never begrudged him for the decision.

Fans were left worrying that Liverpool had let a potentially transformative player escape their grasp. However, the allure of China for Europe’s top footballers quickly waned and many players left the Super League.

Teixeira did manage to secure one title with Jiangsu Suning, clinching the Super League in 2020. But he departed in January 2021, with the club ceasing all operations just a month later.

In August 2021, he signed a three-year contract with Besiktas where he won the Turkish Super Cup. He only spent a single season at the club before returning to his home town team Vasco da Gama.

Teixeira never received his much-desired call-up to the senior Brazil squad either. While Teixeira was playing in China and Turkey, Liverpool, under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp, were busy creating history.

The Reds’ supporters experienced a golden era where they secured the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup and the Club World Cup. Teixeira must be reflecting on what could have been. Zubimendi will certainly be hoping that history doesn’t repeat itself.