Liverpool to Remain ‘Patient’ in Pursuit of £40m Transfer Target | OneFootball

Waiting on Guéhi: Edwards Plays the Long Game

With Crystal Palace placing a £40 million valuation on their star defender Marc Guéhi, it appears Liverpool — and more specifically, Michael Edwards — are prepared to bide their time in their hunt for new additions. The Reds are reportedly content to wait until later in August, hoping that the South London club softens their stance and a deal can be struck closer to the end of the summer transfer window. It appears the player is keen on a move to Merseyside and with one year remaining on his current deal, holds much of the power in deciding his future.

It’s a strategic gamble, but one built upon logic. Liverpool, now Premier League champions for the second time in six seasons, are no longer forced buyers. They’re architects of their window, moving on their timeline and under brilliant executive leadership. Unlike previous regimes that might have overpaid early to get their man, this iteration, led by the returning Edwards and implemented by sporting director Richard Hughes, knows the market, knows its needs, and knows when to hold its nerve.

Selling Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for a fee of £35 million has created a clear vacancy at the heart of Liverpool’s defensive rotation. Virgil van Dijk’s two-year extension provides short-term continuity, and Ibrahima Konaté’s likely new contract cements him as the long-term successor as defensive leader. But with Joe Gomez’s patchy availability and Wataru Endō more of an emergency option, Liverpool needs another starting-level defender — one capable of playing across both centre-back roles with authority.

And that’s where Guéhi fits perfectly.

Guéhi Over Hato: Why Practicality Beats Potential

Chelsea’s recent move to sign Jorrel Hato — one of the most exciting young centre-backs in Europe — sparked some frustration among Liverpool supporters. At £35 million, the fee appeared accessible, especially considering Hato’s age and upside. But while the Ajax prodigy has immense potential, the answer to Liverpool’s defensive dilemma lies more in proven quality than speculative promise.

Hato would not displace Virgil van Dijk, nor would he develop quickly enough behind him in a summer of such aggressive evolution at Anfield. Meanwhile, Milos Kerkez’s arrival has already fortified the left-back spot, with Andy Robertson still serving as an experienced, high-level option. Investing in another left-sided defender with limited top-level experience would have been more luxury than necessity.

Marc Guéhi, by contrast, is Premier League battle-tested, England’s starting centre-back at Euro 2024, and already a leader at just 24. He can play both sides of a central pairing, is dominant in duels, and thrives in high-line systems — a non-negotiable under Arne Slot. Perhaps most critically, Guéhi is tactically intelligent and organizationally gifted. As Palace captain, he’s shown he can marshal a backline, which would allow him to complement and perhaps succeed van Dijk without disrupting team structure or dressing room hierarchy.

Value in Experience: Guéhi the Logical Addition

Should Liverpool land Guéhi for a fee in the region of £35 million — effectively balancing out the Quansah sale — it would represent smart, controlled recruitment. Not every signing needs to be a blockbuster, even in this fantastical window of change. Sometimes, stability and dependability are the real game-changers.

In a squad that continues to evolve — with attacking talent like Florian Wirtz and potentially Alexander Isak arriving — the importance of defensive consistency cannot be overstated in defence of the title. Liverpool’s spine has always been key to their championship-winning blueprint. Guéhi may not carry the glamour of an Ekitike or the technical flair of Wirtz, but in terms of strengthening the foundation, he’s precisely the kind of signing champions make.

There’s also a national team angle worth noting. With Liverpool already losing key English players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, and Harvey Elliott, they remain peripheral figures, therefore. Adding another homegrown international helps with both squad registration and long-term cultural identity.

If patience does bring reward, then Guéhi could arrive at the perfect moment — once Palace realise their bargaining position is shrinking and Liverpool remain the only serious bidder. It’s not a race to win the headline. It’s a campaign to secure the right player, at the right price, for the right reasons.

And in Marc Guéhi, the wait may well be worth every minute.