Arne Slot wants to bolster Liverpool's defensive options in Januaryplaceholder image
Arne Slot wants to bolster Liverpool's defensive options in January | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool’s January transfer window is set to be centered around the signing of a defender
Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi has been at the centre of a number of failed transfer sagas throughout the past three windows - and that theme looks increasingly likely to continue in January 2026 as Liverpool continue to push to sign the highly-rated 26-time England international.
The champions spent an unprecedented amount on marquee reinforcements during the summer window, smashing the British transfer record twice in the space of a month on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak while also enhancing the team with Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong among others.
However, after selling Jarell Quansah and later losing Leoni to a season-ending ACL injury, Liverpool boss Arne Slot is ruing the club’s failure to sign Guehi on transfer deadline day. The holders showed interest in the FA Cup winner throughout the summer, but didn’t submit an official bid until deadline day.
Marc Guehi to Liverpool latest
Reports from The Athletic state that Guehi remains a ‘serious target’ for Liverpool following last summer’s failed deadline day move, adding that the champions’ pursuit of a centre-back is their main priority in the winter window. However, the chances of a January deal happening for Guehi are slim as things stand.
The report states: “Liverpool would still like to sign Guehi, but the chance of that happening in January is slim.”
Liverpool have struggled at the back throughout this season, they’ve shipped 20 goals in 13 league matches, which is the joint highest of any team in the top half and they’ve had to rely on the same pairing in Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk nearly twice a week without having the luxury of being able to rotate the pair.
Guehi is right at the top of Liverpool’s shopping list, but prising the player away from Selhurst Park remains a tricky challenge to try and overcome. The England defender’s contract expires in the summer, so negotiating a move could be complex and difficult for a number of reasons.
One is agreeing a value with Palace as the defender continues to grow from strength to strength while the other issue is wages. Guehi is without doubt one of the most in-demand players in the world at the moment - and as a free agent he would be in a much stronger position to negotiate a more lucrative contract.
Crystal Palace also in the short term gave him more guarantees about regular gametime, which is important in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Real Madrid cool interest in Ibrahima Konate
Despite his notable dip in form, Liverpool are keen to retain the services of 26-year-old defender Konate, who is due to become a free agent in June 2026 if a new deal isn’t agreed.
Konate was central to Liverpool’s title triumph last term and has only helped the club win the League Cup, FA Cup and reach a Champions League final earlier in his Anfield career.
The 26-year-old can speak with overseas teams and reach a pre-contract agreement from January 1 as his current deal is scheduled to expire in June. He was linked with a move to Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid, but in a fresh transfer twist David Ornstein now claims the capital club have no interest in signing the French international.
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