Richard Hughes Sporting Director of Liverpool during the first Arne Slot press conference at AXA Training Centre on July 05, 2024 in Kirkby, England.placeholder image
Richard Hughes Sporting Director of Liverpool during the first Arne Slot press conference at AXA Training Centre on July 05, 2024 in Kirkby, England. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool have a tough task on their hands to sign leading transfer target Marc Guehi
Liverpool’s position in the race for long-standing transfer target Marc Guehi is under threat. Premier League rivals Manchester City have emerged as contenders to sign the England international, who is due to leave Crystal Palace this year.
The centre-back is one of the most highly sought-after players in football right now. Reports have already established that he will not be extending his time at Selhurst Park, meaning he will either leave the club for a fee this month, or become a free agent in the summer.
Guehi isn’t short of admirers and despite coming agonisingly close to signing him in September, Liverpool are at risk of no longer being the front-runners for his signature. This could weigh heavily on Richard Hughes, who otherwise had an extremely fruitful summer after securing deals for Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Liverpool’s signing of the season contender Hugo Ekitike.
Man City threaten to hijack Liverpool deal for Marc Guehi
BBC Sport has reported that Man City are ‘exploring’ a move for Guehi this month to ease the pressure of their growing injury list.
Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias both picked up injuries during their latest Premier League clash with Chelsea, while John Stones has not featured since the start of December as he recovers from a thigh problem.
Guehi would likely be guaranteed an immediate starting space at City too. Pep Guardiola currently only has Abdukodir Khusanov and Nathan Ake at his disposal, meaning the arrival of Guehi would be crucial for their Premier League title push.
The lure of joining a club who has won eight of the last 14 league seasons is incredibly high, especially as they are still in with a chance of toppling Arsenal this year. However, losing Guehi to City would be a monumental blow for Liverpool regardless.
Liverpool risk mammoth transfer slip amid Marc Guehi links
Liverpool failed to sign Guehi over the summer after Crystal Palace performed a dramatic U-turn on Deadline Day. The Eagles failed to bring in a replacement in time and pulled the plug on their captain’s exit, despite him agreeing personal terms and the club accepting a £35 million bid.
It was a sucker-punch for the Reds, especially as they have been struggling defensively this season and lost Giovanni Leoni to an ACL injury.
While there probably wasn’t much Liverpool could have done to stop the deal from collapsing, another failed move will certainly ask questions of Hughes and the board. It will be a crash down to reality for Liverpool if they go from booking a medical with a top target, to not even being able to pick up where they left off this month.
Many expected Guehi to be Liverpool-bound this year but with ongoing interest from other clubs, their chances are thinning, especially as their form continues to be inconsistent and they are now 14 points adrift of the title race.
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