A significant new update on the transfer rumour mill could give Liverpool a stunning opportunity to get their own back on rivals Manchester City.
The Reds were denied the chance to sign long-standing transfer target Antoine Semenyo after Pep Guardiola’s side beat them to the punch. Man City announced the arrival of the winger from Bournemouth just over a week into the January window, seeing off hefty competition for the highly sought-after Ghanaian.
Semenyo completed his £64 million move across the league and immediately opened up his goalscoring account during his City debut. The 26-year-old contributed to a record-equalling 10-1 win over Exeter City in the FA Cup. He closed his chapter with Bournemouth in fairytale fashion just three days prior, scoring a stoppage time winner against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Liverpool could get revenge on Man City for Antoine Semenyo snub
Liverpool had a sharp eye on Semenyo and many reports suggested he was earmarked as the man to replace Mohamed Salah. Now, the reigning Premier League champions will need to look elsewhere for a clinical winger to dominate their right-hand side.
While they continue their search for a Salah successor, Liverpool can take advantage of another crucial transfer pursuit in the meantime, and get revenge on Man City.
Liverpool remain firmly in the picture to sign Marc Guehi after failing to get a deal over the line in the summer. Since Crystal Palace pulled the plug on the 2025 Deadline Day, other clubs have swarmed in to try and sign Guehi, as his contract is due to expire this June. However, even with the high level of competition, Liverpool still appear to be the favoured destination for the England international.
According to Sam Lee of The Athletic, Guehi prefers a move to Anfield over other clubs, including Manchester City. This will come as an extra special boost for Reds fans, as it was recently reported that Guardiola’s side are ‘confident’ they have beaten Liverpool to the centre-back.
“On Monday night, I was told by somebody who knows what’s going on at City, but also I think probably Palace as well. He said he thinks Guehi wants to stay until the summer and he prefers Liverpool [to City] in any case,” Lee revealed on the Let Me Talk podcast.
“Somebody else messaged me on Twitter and I know he’s very good on other club stuff. He was like: ‘Yeah, he wants to stay until the summer — and he prefers Liverpool and Arsenal’. I was like: ‘Well I haven’t heard Arsenal’, but that kind of tallies what I’d been told the night before.”
Liverpool defensive crisis continues
Liverpool are in serious need of defensive reinforcements and have been on the market for a new centre-back for months now.
It is looking increasingly likely that Ibrahima Konate will leave this summer when his contract expires, while Joe Gomez’s future is also up in the air. The Englishman nearly left the club over the summer as talks with AC Milan were held but the conversation collapsed in the final hours.
Gomez may well be called upon to give support at right-back for the remainder of the season, as Conor Bradley is out with a significant knee injury. The Northern Ireland international will not feature again this season, as he undergoes surgery on ‘bone and ligament damage’. Fortunately, the injury is not ACL-related but Bradley’s absence is a hefty blow for Arne Slot.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will push to sign Guehi this month but it will be hugely beneficial if they are able to bring him in at this halfway point.