Richard Hughes makes up his mind on Marc Guehi alternative | OneFootball

Liverpool have got a centre-back conundrum to solve. The Reds opted to let Jarell Quansah leave last summer with the England squad member departing for Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth around £30m.

In came Giovanni Leoni to give Arne Slot a fourth central defender to join Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez.

That already looked like the bare minimum - given the demands on the Liverpool squad - and things look even bleaker now following Leoni’s injury.

The 18-year-old was signed from Parma for £26m but suffered a torn ACL on debut - meaning he has been put out of action for up to a year.

Leoni injury spurs Liverpool into action

While that represents a tragedy for the young Italian on a personal level, it also means Arne Slot is just one injury or suspension away from being down to two centre-backs.

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With Ibrahima Konate out of contract at the end of the season - and offers again being heard for Gomez - the centre-back department has never been more uncertain.

That’s why we saw links to Marc Guehi over summer - with the Crystal Palace captain being sought out to provide competition and cover for first-choice Van Dijk and Konate.

Liverpool missed out on signing the 25-year-old on transfer deadline day - meaning they had to face the season somewhat undermanned.

Liverpool could come back for Guehi

Guehi is out of contract in 2026 and there remains the possibility that the Premier League champions come back for him on a free transfer next summer.

But that still leaves a gap in the short term and a new report from Football Insider suggests Richard Hughes is determined to solve it come January.

© IMAGO - Richard Hughes Liverpool

Liverpool look to secure January loan deal

"Liverpool are exploring the option of bringing in a centre-back on loan in the January transfer window,” the report reads.

While no names are mentioned presumably Liverpool would look to players with proven Premier League experience if they are to bring in centre-backs.

There is simply no time to waste for new performers to get up to speed with Arne Slot’s demands. The Reds would require a plug-and-play solution in January for their potential loan deal.

That in turn would preserve some budget for making an attempt to sign Guehi on a free in summer.