Report: Liverpool make final decision on Marc Guehi ahead of January window | OneFootball

Liverpool Make Final Decision on Marc Guehi Move Ahead of January Transfer Window

Credit to The Daily Mail for the original report, which again points Liverpool towards a familiar need, reliable centre back depth. Slot’s system asks defenders to cover space and play forward, so the margin for error is thin. As one club source type put it to me recently, “You can plan a season, you cannot plan an injury list.”

The report opens with a clear statement, “As for defenders, we know that Crystal Palace captain Guehi is well-liked.” That reads like more than a passing link. Marc Guehi is Premier League proven, comfortable on the ball, and has leadership experience.

Guehi link still carries weight at Anfield

The key detail is the near miss, “He was 99 per cent a Liverpool player on deadline day only for the Eagles chairman Steve Parish to pull the plug on the move at, quite literally, the 11th hour.” When a move gets that far, Liverpool have usually agreed the player profile and the role.

If Liverpool are still circling now, it suggests they see Guehi as a starter quality addition, someone who can play big games and raise the floor of the rotation. Put simply, “postponed” feels closer than “parked” with this one.

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Summer free transfer plan meets a hard reality

The Daily Mail adds, “The Reds would prefer now to wait until the summer to get the England international on a free transfer and that is possible.” It is easy to understand the attraction, a free transfer protects the budget and creates flexibility.

The same report captures the unease many supporters feel, “However surely they must see that they are only a Van Dijk or Konate injury away from the season careering out of control?” That is a blunt way of describing a simple problem, even elite squads can be one injury from a chain reaction.

If the club chooses patience, the bet is on fitness and on the current options holding up through the busiest periods.

Rival interest and alternatives shape the decision

Competition is part of the equation, “Guehi also has suitors at Manchester City, Bayern Munich and others on the continent.” Waiting can hand power to the player, and the report underlines why, “The defender would get a better financial package if he moved on a free transfer, as it would leave more money for the buying club to splurge on his wages.”

Liverpool have clearly kept other names in view. The Daily Mail notes, “Funnily enough, Maxence Lacroix, his Palace defensive colleague, has been discussed in the past by Liverpool.” It also says, “Joel Ordonez at Club Brugge is another they have kept an eye on, especially before they signed Leoni,” while adding, “Oscar Mingueza at Celta Vigo has been tentatively linked in Spanish reports,” and, “Brentford’s Nathan Collins has also been mooted as a potential defensive reinforcement.” It is a sign Liverpool are covering the market, but Guehi still looks like the name that ties the plan together.

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As a Liverpool fan, the line that sticks is the one about being “only a Van Dijk or Konate injury away from the season careering out of control?” It feels harsh, and it also feels real. Liverpool are 4th right now, and that is close enough to dream, and precarious enough to fear a wobble.

Slot has already earned belief, he won the Premier League title in his debut season, and he has rebuilt the team’s rhythm. Still, another title push needs a calmer defensive rotation, and that is why Guehi sounds so appealing. If he really was “99 per cent a Liverpool player” before it was pulled at “the 11th hour,” then Liverpool clearly saw him as a starter quality option.

Waiting for a free transfer could be clever, but only if Liverpool stay in control of the story. If Manchester City or Bayern Munich step up, the club must sell a football plan, minutes, responsibility, and a route to trophies. Add that one centre back, protect Van Dijk and Konate, and give Slot the platform to lift Liverpool from 4th into a genuine run at the top again.