Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool: Arne Slot press conference
Liverpool saw a £35 million transfer for Marc Guehi break down on summer deadline day.
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has suggested that Liverpool could have signed Marc Guehi had they made an approach earlier in the summer transfer window.
Liverpool's issues in central defence this season have been stark. Ibrahima Konate's form has dropped, having been a key player to help the Reds win the Premier League title last term.
‘What’s been said’
But Parish suggested a deal for Guehi could have been agreed with Liverpool had they made a move two weeks before the deadline. Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “You can’t spend money you don’t have. You have to have some guardrails as a club, or you’ll build up big problems down the track.
“Everyone saw where prices went in the summer; it’s a difficult landscape. There wasn’t the right thing available at the right time when the finances were in place. There’s no point in doing something for the sake of it.
“How are you going to get someone to come and tell them they are No 1 in Ebs’ (Eze) position if you still have him. The one where we didn’t, with Marc (Guehi), we kept him. You can’t always make happen what you want to. We are where we are in the pecking order; you could ask why other clubs make bids for our players two weeks before the end of the window. I don’t know why they did that.”
Will Liverpool sign Marc Guehi?
Liverpool remain interested in signing Guehi, whose Palace contract expires at the end of the season. However, because the former Chelsea defender will become a free agent, he will attract significant interest. The likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have all been linked with a potential swoop and can agree a pre-contract from 1 January.
It remains to be seen whether the Reds will make another attempt to sign Guehi when the January transfer window opens. Palace boss Oliver Glasner has already confirmed that the Eagles’ captain, who skippered the club to FA Cup glory last season, will not be penning fresh terms at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool have been vulnerable defensively throughout the campaign and it is a chief reason why their Premier League title defence is over before Christmas. Arne Slot’s side sit 10 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
The Reds signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for £26 million in the summer. However, the 18-year-old was recruited with an eye towards the future and suffered a devastating ACL injury on his debut in September, so won’t play again this campaign.
Konate has been Virgil van Dijk’s regular centre-back partner this season, while Joe Gomez has had to fill in at right-back of late.
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