Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)placeholder image
Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Liverpool have continued to be linked to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi ahead of the January transfer window.
Liverpool may have to overpay the market value for any players if they want to make signings in the January transfer window, it has been suggested.
Clubs across Europe are able to do business in less than a week’s time and it will be intriguing if the Reds opt to use the opportunity. Liverpool’s Premier League title defence is already over as they’re 10 points behind Arsenal. But Arne Slot’s side have a battle to finish in the top four, while they are in the Champions League.
The Reds are set to be without £125 million British record signing Alexander Isak for a couple of months after he broke his leg in last weekend’s 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are short of centre-backs, with Giovanni Leoni ruled out for the rest of the campaign after rupturing his ACL. Slot’s side were interested in signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace last summer and agreed a £35 million fee before the plug was pulled at the 11th hour.
Guehi’s Palace contract expires in the summer and the South London side could well be open to cashing in for the right price rather than see their captain leave on a free transfer. But according to Peterborough United owner and chairman Darragh MacAnthony, Liverpool would have to make an offer that is worthwhile to Palace.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Mac Anthony said: “You've got people like me who will demand even higher prices for a player. You could be in the middle of a promotion campaign, someone wants one of your players and you're going to ask for a ridiculous figure because you don't want to lose in a promotion campaign. Supply and demand is exactly right.
“It's never a great month to do business or change your squad. In the past, we've done really well in January when it's one of two. If you start bringing in six or seven, it's like an emergency month to save your season. It's a recipe for disaster.
“Liverpool will already have targets, they'll be looking at the summer window. The one thing I know about Liverpool is they're very shrewd and do their business quickly. Guehi is probably the best centre-back out there who is going to be available in the summer; do you put an offer to Crystal Palace and maybe they'll sniff at an offer. I do know you overpay in January when you do business.”
Liverpool spent circa £450 million in the summer transfer window on the likes of Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike. However, Slot recently admitted that the Reds will have a limited budget in January if they do want to recruit.
The Anfield head coach said: “The outside world wants to believe we have unlimited money but that is not true.You insiders know – and you are the only ones because the outside world only talks about our spending – what we have brought in [money] to spend. That is the way we work over here. You then have to accept that in certain games during a season you are short of a right full-back. But we are still able to win. I fully believe in that way of working by the way.”
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