What Liverpool decided in September now explains the Guehi mess everyone is angry about | OneFootball

Liverpool’s long-standing stance on Guehi was made clear months before January frustration set in, even if many are only now revisiting the decision.

Paul Joyce reported for The Times on September 7, just a week after the summer window closed, that Liverpool would not attempt to sign the Crystal Palace centre-back in January and would only pursue him on a free transfer next summer.

That report stated plainly: “Liverpool will not revisit their interest in Marc Guehi in January and will only now seek to sign the Crystal Palace centre back on a free transfer next summer.”

Liverpool transfer stance on Guehi explained

(Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

The England international had been on the brink of joining us on deadline day, with a £35m deal agreed, a medical completed, and personal desire communicated to Palace.

Steve Parish ultimately pulled the plug after failing to secure a replacement, despite previously accepting Liverpool’s valuation and a ten per cent sell-on clause following talks with sporting director Richard Hughes.

Guehi was left frustrated by the collapse, having already made clear his ambition to join Arne Slot’s champions, but the club hierarchy were adamant that January would not be revisited for a player in the final year of his deal.

That stance was reinforced by confidence in our centre-back depth, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibou Konate in situ and Giovanni Leoni arriving from Parma in a £26m deal to end a long search for a young developmental defender.

Joyce also reported that interest from AC Milan and Brighton in Joe Gomez was not allowed to progress, further underlining Liverpool’s belief that the squad was not understrength.

Why Guehi patience has backfired for Liverpool

(Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

The problem is how the landscape has shifted since September.

Leoni is out, Konate is now in the final year of his contract with talks at an impasse, Gomez’s fitness record remains a concern, and the patience that felt controlled four months ago now feels costly.

That is why it’s worth revisiting the September report, particularly in light of developments elsewhere and the growing sense that waiting has handed momentum away.

The frustration is compoundedeled by the fact that this exact scenario was outlined in detail when we shared Joyce’s report the week after the window shut, warning that Liverpool were prepared to wait even if it meant losing control of the situation.

With Guehi’s future now moving in a direction that does not include Anfield, the question is no longer what Liverpool should do in January, but whether a firm decision taken in September has quietly backfired.

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