Slot has not been able to turn the tide over recent weeksplaceholder image
Slot has not been able to turn the tide over recent weeks | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool have looked shaky in defence all season but they have been given an advantage in the chase to sign Marc Guehi.
One of the most impressive aspects of Liverpool’s performance against Real Madrid was how resolute the defence was.
The logic now is, if they can keep a clean sheet against one of the best forward lines in world football, they should be able to keep one against anybody.
Liverpool gain advantage in race for Marc Guehi
Liverpool have conceded three more goals than Arsenal and Man City combined and it has been the single biggest problem that Arne Slot has needed to fix despite a misfiring forward line and summer signings failing to hit the ground running. The collapse of the attempt to sign Marc Guehi has proven to be a costly one, but Richard Hughes has been given a boost in their pursuit of the Crystal Palace skipper.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich are only interested in deal for Guehi if they have departures: “If Upamecano leaves Bayern on a free this summer, Marc Guehi is then on the list at Bayern,” the Italian said on his YouTube channel. “They want to try and add if only if he leaves or even if Kim-min Jae leaves. But if an important defender leaves between now and the summer transfer window, then Guehi will be one of the options for them.”
It is a similar story with Real Madrid, but they look to have pulled out of the running due to the finances involved both in terms of salary and signing on fee according to AS. Despite being available on a Bosman, players from the Premier League carry a tax that not many teams in Europe can afford to pay.
Do Liverpool still need Guehi?
Liverpool had agreed a deal with Guehi in the summer, however, with there no longer being a need to pay a transfer fee at the end of the season, or a reduced fee in January, the overall package will still be expensive. After all, Guehi is one of the first names on the team-sheet for England and will be wanting the sort of salary that players like John Stones are on.
The 25-year old could be at the heart of Liverpool’s defence for the next 10 years but the absence of a big transfer fee still makes it a deal worth doing.
After Konate’s performance against Real Madrid, there is a real decision to make in terms of a contract offer for the France international. Guehi won’t want to sign for Liverpool, or any club for that matter, without reassurances about what his role will be.
Virgil van Dijk might be 34, but he is showing no signs of slowing down just yet. Despite this, signing Guehi is still a tap-in of a signing and the odds of a second agreement being made have just shortened.
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