Liverpool’s 2025-26 season may ultimately be defined by a decision made in the late hours of Sept. 1.
It wasn’t even a choice reached by anyone connected with the club, but one ultimately taken by Crystal Palace as the London side was left reeling after losing out on Igor Julio’s signing on transfer deadline day. The 11th-hour switch meant there was no time for Palace to find a replacement, meaning Marc Guehi’s transfer to Liverpool was blocked.
Everything had appeared to be in place. The England international had even completed the first part of his medical and had his heart set on the move to Anfield. Instead, Arne Slot and Liverpool were dealt an almighty blow.
His absence has been keenly felt this season, with Giovanni Leoni sustaining a season-ending injury in September and Ibrahima Konate enduring an inconsistent campaign.
As for Guehi, it has left the center-back in an awkward position. Even his Palace teammates have acknowledged he will not be at the club next season, but for now, he remains a crucial player for Oliver Glasner.
How has Guehi fared this season?
The Palace skipper earned widespread praise for his handling of the delicate situation last summer, when he was keen to move on but did not force through an exit.
Unsurprisingly, his impeccable standards have remained throughout the campaign, both on and off the pitch.
Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace will be a hot commodity on the transfer market
Guehi will be a hot commodity on the transfer market (Image: Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)
“The sun goes up, the sun goes down, life goes on," Guehi said in October when asked about the frustration of missing out on that move.
“That's my mindset, and if you adopt that mindset in most things, you just get on with life and move on. Fortunately for me, I'm at a football club that has helped me and given me so much, so it does make it that much easier.”
As for his on-field displays, Guehi has been a stalwart at the back for Palace, featuring in all but one of the team’s 22 games this season. WhoScored rates the 25-year-old as the fourth best-performing center-back across the course of the campaign, based on its statistical model.
Those displays have cost Liverpool in more ways than one, with Guehi twice captaining the Eagles to victories over Slot’s side and even providing an assist in September’s Premier League win at Selhurst Park.
Guehi has also played three times for England since his collapsed transfer to Liverpool and is a shoo-in to make Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup next summer, assuming he remains injury-free.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot
Slot is keen to add Guehi to his Liverpool ranks (Image: Simon Stacpoole/Getty Images)
Should Liverpool still pursue a transfer?
Absolutely. There is no doubt whatsoever that Guehi would be an excellent signing for the Reds.
Given the current issues in the Liverpool squad, his addition would be seismic. With long-term questions surrounding the futures of three of Liverpool’s four center-backs – and the fourth facing a serious knee injury — it’s an area of Slot’s squad that looks particularly fragile.
For that reason, a January move feels like a no-brainer. Guehi would still be available for a relatively modest fee, and he would immediately bolster the squad ahead of the second half of the campaign. That would also remove any chance of a rival beating the Reds to Guehi’s signature.
The ex-Chelsea youth graduate has no shortage of interested parties, with several of Europe’s big-hitters ready to make a contract offer next summer. Overseas clubs can even begin negotiations as early as next month.
There is little clarity on whether Liverpool will make its move early to prevent a transfer battle for the player, but a decision must be made in the coming weeks.
After an exorbitant summer outlay, a sense of caution is understandable. Then again, it’s no exaggeration to claim a mid-season move for Guehi could salvage what has been an unimaginably poor campaign from the Premier League champions.