Fulham 2-2 Liverpool: Match Review
Liverpool were close to signing Marc Guehi in the summer transfer window.
It’s fair to say that Marc Guehi will have his share of suitors in the summer.
Given Guehi will be a free agent come June, his status means there are more clubs than just Liverpool keen. European giants Bayern Munich have reportedly held talks with the centre-back, while Spanish superpowers Real Madrid and Barcelona have been linked. Closer to home, Manchester City are supposedly interested. Pep Guardiola’s side are expected to strengthen their defensive options.
And there are now some City fans who are clamouring for the Etihad Stadium outfit to accelerate their plans in the January transfer window. City are second in the Premier League table, six points behind Arsenal. They are still in the title race with 18 matches remaining but have been hit with a double blow.
During a 1-1 draw against Chelsea, they lost both centre-halves Josko Gvardiol and Rúben Dias to injury. Guardiola admitted that it did not ‘look good’ for the former. In addition, John Stones is already sidelined while Nathan Ake has had his own fitness issues.
The January window is an opportunity for City to strengthen as they are also in pursuit of winning the Champions League for a second time. Guehi would be the obvious target, especially as Palace may be tempted to sell for the right price.
However, Guardiola has suggested that City may not dip into the market. “I don’t think so,” said the Eithad Stadium boss when asked if the injuries could impact his transfer business. “I don’t think so, but we’ll see what happens because I know Ruben [Dias] is a big loss, Josko [Gvardiol] is a big loss – it’s a partnership we have done, bringing us to what we are.”
Yet BBC Sport reports that injuries to Gvardiol and Dias have prompted City to explore a potential mid-season move for Guehi. It is suggested that Palace would be willing to sell the former Chelsea defender rather than seeing him leave for nothing in six months’ time.
But GiveMeSport suggests that it would take an ‘extraordinary offer’ for Palace to sanction a sale. It’s reported they would want more than the £35 million they accepted from Liverpool in the summer. The Eagles are 14th in the Premier League, although they are one of the favourites to win the Europa Conference League.
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