Marc Guehi. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)placeholder image
Marc Guehi. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool missed out on Marc Guehi in the summer and with several clubs after the Crystal Palace man, an alternative shortlist has emerged.
It has been universally agreed that Liverpool made just one mistake in the summer transfer window.
With the head start of being able to discuss a Bosman move in January, the Reds’ desire to wait until the end of the season to sign the England international might back fire.
Liverpool eye Marc Guehi alternatives
Other names have been mentioned and ironically, there could be a centre-half merry-go-round featuring Guehi, contract rebel Ibrahima Konate and Dayot Upamecano, with all three defenders out of contract next summer. Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have been linked with all three. There are plenty of other talented centre-halves on the market though with Caught Offside naming a seven long list of potential targets.
One of those is Castello Lukeba, RB Leipzig’s rising star France international known for his pace, ability to cover teammates and his comfort in possession. That he is a naturally left-footed defender also makes him a valuable asset for the Bundesliga outfit.
Compared to Josep Gvardiol, the 22-year old has huge potential and already has several fans, via the Bundesliga official website: "He is left footed and can play as a left-sided centre-back in both a back-three and a back-four. Castello’s main strengths are his tough-tackling nature, his pace, his positioning and how good he is on the ball,” said Max Eberl, Leipzig's former managing director for sport.
"He's a real talent with real potential,” said former Lyon head coach Peter Bosz, who handed Lukeba his Ligue 1 debut.
"Castello Lukeba - what a player, what a boy! Willi gets injured, he's on the pitch in the first game after that, wobbles once or twice and then rattles off his games against every opponent at the age of 20 at a top level,” added Leipzig head coach Marco Rose said when Lukeba first broke into the first team.
Lukeba has since earned senior recognition with France and is all set for a move to a “bigger” club.
Barcelona defender also on Liverpool’s radar
Another name who hasn’t been mentioned as often is Ronald Araujo of Barcelona. The 26-year old Uruguay international has captained the Catalans and is an unsung and well-respected centre-half. Under contract until 2031, Araujo would demand a transfer fee, however, he has already been offered to another Premier League club with Barca’s ongoing financial problems dictate the need to sell assets to fund new signings.
According to TBR’s Graeme Bailey, if Liverpool want to sign Araujo, Barcelona wouldn’t be difficult to deal with in what would be the most like-for-like signing to replace Konate or as an alternative to Guehi in terms of style of play: “We know Chelsea tried to sign Fermin, but now sources confirm they would happily have taken Cascado and Garcia too. Interest in Garcia remains, and Barcelona are now working hard on tying him down as his contract expires at the end of the season.
“I am told Garcia is someone Chelsea would want in January, but the chances are he will have signed a new deal. They have been offered Araujo, and in theory, they do have an interest, but they are yet to be convinced he wants to leave Barcelona, so I do not believe they are pushing too hard on that.
“Should Araujo make it clear he would move, then things could very well change, but as it stands, he really isn’t keen on leaving.”
The other names mentioned include Murillo, Sven Botman and Jarrad Branthwaite with Hughes regularly going for tried and tested options from the Premier League. Guehi remains the most likely option, but the alternatives are encouraging.
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