Ex-Liverpool star Don Hutchison was unequivocal when assessing Liverpool’s failure to get the deal done, insisting the club had only themselves to blame for missing what he viewed as an essential signing. Speaking to Sportscasting.com, he said: “They’ve blown their chances of landing him. One million percent. I mean, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Liverpool when they didn't get the Guehi deal done. Let's just say Crystal Palace wanted £45 million. Liverpool should have given them £50m, because they're going to have Marc Guehi for six years. They should have just paid the money.”
Hutchison stressed how transformative the England international could have been for a squad that already contains major leaders at the back. He added: “When I compare Liverpool to Arsenal, I see two proper men and two proper guys that won't be bullied in Calafiori and Timber, alongside Saliba and Gabriel. So you've got four centre-backs across there. If Marc Guehi was at Liverpool now he'd be playing at left-back and you'd be Konate, Van Dijk, Bradley and Guehi, and you’d be thinking crikey, that’s pretty versatile.”
He concluded that delaying the investment had placed Liverpool in a weakened position for future negotiations. “Liverpool should have just paid Palace whatever they wanted. I think it was a poor move. They were so focused on signing Isak. I understand that, because you can’t turn it down, but Guehi had to be the other priority. This January has to be the marker with Guehi if they want to finish in the top four.”