Sky Sports Reporter: Liverpool set to reignite talks to sign £35m star | OneFootball

Liverpool centre back planning reaches defining moment

Liverpool’s transfer planning rarely feels reactive, yet the current picture at centre back demands urgency as much as foresight. Sky Sports’ reporting has underlined a situation that has been quietly building and now threatens to dominate multiple windows. Contracts, injuries and missed opportunities are converging at once, leaving the Premier League champions with little margin for error.

Sporting director Richard Hughes faces a timeline that sharpens with each passing month. Ibrahima Konate’s deal expires in 2026 and without progress, Liverpool risk losing a prime age defender for nothing. Twelve months later, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez follow him into contractual uncertainty in 2027. Add Giovanni Leoni’s season ending ACL injury into the mix and the sense of pressure becomes unmistakable.

This is not panic territory, but it is a test of Liverpool’s long held reputation for control and clarity in the market.

Marc Guehi opportunity that would not go away

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol has cast doubt on any January overhaul, suggesting that Hughes and Arne Slot are unlikely to resolve the issue mid season. Yet the name that keeps resurfacing is Marc Guehi, a player Liverpool thought they had secured before deadline day chaos intervened.

A £35m fee had been agreed with Crystal Palace, personal terms were settled, and yet Palace’s failure to sign a replacement forced a late withdrawal. Liverpool were left short, Palace held firm, and a relationship with the England international was paused rather than severed.

Solhekol’s assessment is blunt and revealing.“Liverpool will definitely sign another centre-back in 2026. I’m not sure if it will be in January,” Solhekol said.“There’s talk about whether there is a gentleman’s agreement with Marc Guehi. They missed out on him at the eleventh hour.“Will they go back in for him? I think they probably will. The problem they have is from the first of January, he can start talking to foreign clubs.“We know Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona are all interested in him. Manchester City could be looking for a new centre-back.“He will have a lot of options and I find it very difficult to think Crystal Palace will let him leave in January.”

European competition complicates January plans

That final point is key. Liverpool have effectively lost their free run at Guehi. January opens the door to elite European interest, turning what once felt like a clean move into a crowded auction. Palace’s leverage remains strong and Liverpool’s advantage has softened.

Slot’s recent reliance on all three senior centre backs, with Gomez covering at right back, shows adaptability rather than comfort. It is a reminder that Liverpool are coping, not settling.

Sky Sports deserve credit for framing this not as a single transfer story, but as a strategic crossroads. Liverpool will sign another centre back, the question is whether timing works in their favour or against them.

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Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

This report lands with a mix of excitement and unease for Liverpool supporters. On one hand, there is reassurance that the club know the problem and have already identified solutions. Guehi agreeing terms previously matters, because players rarely forget who made them feel wanted first. On the other hand, losing control of the situation feels unsettling, especially when Europe’s biggest clubs are circling.

From a fan perspective, January feels like a gamble either way. Spending big now risks overpaying in a seller’s market. Waiting until summer risks watching targets drift elsewhere. That tension sits at the heart of the concern. Supporters can see the contract timelines as clearly as Hughes can, and nobody wants a repeat of watching elite talent walk away for free.

There is also scepticism about relying too heavily on ageing legs and patched solutions. Van Dijk remains colossal, but time waits for no defender. Gomez’s versatility is valuable, yet it cannot be the long term answer at centre back and right back combined. Leoni’s injury only sharpens that worry.

Arne Slot deserves trust for how he has managed the squad so far, but fans will expect decisive action. This feels like a moment that defines Liverpool’s next cycle. Get the centre back succession right and stability follows. Get it wrong and the cracks could spread quickly.