Journalist: Liverpool set to wait until the summer to sign £35m star | OneFootball

Lewis Steele Provides Update on Liverpool’s Interest in Marc Guehi

Liverpool’s recruitment blueprint has shifted, shaped by a new era under Arne Slot. After delivering the Premier League title in his debut campaign, expectations recalibrated quickly. Despite sitting 4th in the league this season, the club’s long-term planning remains assertive, yet the decision to delay a renewed move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi until the summer raises questions about squad depth, timing and risk tolerance.

The original report by Lewis Steele for The Daily Mail deserves credit for outlining Liverpool’s position with clarity. Steele’s piece highlights that Guehi 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”. That collapse, as dramatic as any transfer saga gets, appears to have influenced Liverpool’s preference to wait for a free transfer, a move that would allow a “better financial package” for the defender, leaving “more money for the buying club to splurge on his wages”.

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From a strategic standpoint, the appeal is obvious. Liverpool have demonstrated a strong record in capitalising on market value, particularly in free or reduced-cost deals, and waiting until the summer aligns with fiscal prudence. Yet, the report fairly probes the fragility of Liverpool’s defensive reserves, asking, “Surely they must see that they are only a Van Dijk or Konate injury away from the season careering out of control?”

This is where analysis becomes crucial. Liverpool’s backline has enjoyed stability, but stability is not a substitute for security. Slot’s system emphasises controlled possession, positional discipline and progressive build-up play, traits that Guehi embodies. His leadership profile is also a natural fit, he is “well-liked”, experienced in captaining Palace, and established internationally with England.

However, competition for his signature is intensifying. Steele notes that Guehi “has suitors at Manchester City, Bayern Munich and others on the continent”. The allure of City’s project, Bayern’s domestic dominance and lucrative continental packages means Liverpool’s gamble is not solely fitness-based, it is market-based. The summer window could become a bidding war on wages, bonuses and signing fees, even without a transfer fee attached.

Liverpool’s decision to wait could deliver value, but it also demands near-perfect defensive fitness in the interim. If Palace were open to negotiation in January, a mid-season recalibration may still prove sensible, especially when margins for Champions League qualification and domestic success remain tight.

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Liverpool fans have every reason to be optimistic under Arne Slot, even if the current campaign has not matched the fireworks of his debut title-winning season. Slot lifted the Premier League in his first year, a dream start that many supporters still replay with pride, but this season’s 4th place standing, while respectable, feels like an invitation for reinforcements rather than reassurance.

Marc Guehi represents more than a bargain opportunity, he is a lifeline of calm, leadership and continuity waiting to happen. Many Reds supporters still carry the sting of Deadline Day when Parish “pulled the plug at the 11th hour” on the £35m move. That line will live long in fan memory, not just for the timing, but for what it represented, a statement that Liverpool were ready to invest in the future, only to be denied by circumstances outside their control.

Now, the idea of signing him for free in the summer feels like poetic justice, a narrative Liverpool fans can believe in. Yet, the pragmatic warning in Steele’s piece rings true: “Only a Van Dijk or Konate injury away from the season careering out of control” is not hyperbole, it is reality. Liverpool are elite, but elite teams do not ride luck, they insure against misfortune.

Guehi would slide perfectly into Slot’s structure. He can carry the ball, break lines, organise a press-resistant defence and, crucially, talk and lead. Palace may be mid-table, but Guehi is top-four ready, and many would argue he is already operating at that level. His England role, captaincy experience and composure under pressure make him an archetypal Liverpool centre-back.

Supporters will also note that City’s interest is not just about defence, it is about replacing an ageing spine. Bayern and continental clubs circling him suggests Liverpool are right to admire his profile, but delaying until summer increases jeopardy. Fans want the free transfer story, but they want the season secured more.

Liverpool should not abandon patience, but patience should not become paralysis. If January opportunity existed, many Reds would take it, because squad depth is not a luxury at Anfield, it is oxygen.