Liverpool are now in club-to-club talks over signing a defender who's started to make his name this season, amid reports that Arne Slot's side have missed out on signing Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi this summer.
Man City win Marc Guehi race despite Liverpool interest
Premier League title contenders Man City have now won the race to sign Guehi, with Pep Guardiola's side jumping ahead of the stiff competition by agreeing a move this month.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the press conference
City have agreed to pay a fee for the England international in January, rather than wait until later this year like all of his other suitors, with Guehi now poised to undergo medical tests at the Etihad before his £20 million move (Fabrizio Romano).
Alongside Liverpool, the likes of Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea were all tipped as contenders to sign Guehi, but it is City who will land the 25-year-old for what is a bargain fee.
It is a sore one to take from Slot's perspective, considering just how close Guehi was to joining the Reds last summer.
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Liverpool are interested in signing a right-back following a season-ending injury to Conor Bradley.
The former Chelsea youngster travelled to have a medical at Liverpool after the English champions shook hands on a £40 million deal, but Palace pulled out at the last minute on summer deadline day.
Liverpool's need for a new defender in multiple positions is glaring, with right-back Connor Bradley out for the rest of 2025/2026 after undergoing knee surgery.
Summer signing Giovanni Leoni also won't be playing again until around August after tearing his ACL, and with Ibrahima Konate poised to leave on a free transfer this summer as things stand, defensive reinforcements are surely right at the top of Liverpool's to-do list.
Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate
Well, as it happens, the Merseysiders have their eyes on a Championship sensation who's very highly-rated after coming through the ranks this season.
Liverpool in talks with Sheffield Wednesday over Yisa Alao
According to Football Insider and journalist Pete O'Rourke, Liverpool want to take advantage of Sheffield Wednesday's administration status by signing one of their 'prize assets'.
yisa-alao-sheffield-wednesday
That man is left-back Yisa Alao, who has 'burst on to the scene' at Hillsbrough this season with Liverpool now in negotiations with Wednesday over a January deal.
The 17-year-old has made four senior first-team appearances under Henrik Pedersen and has done very well in the circumstances, impressing on-lookers with his composure and potential.
Reporter Alan Briggs made a point of highlighting the teenager as 'very impressive' for his age, while Pederson has been left wowed by his rise to the first-team.
“As soon as he came on they tried to bring extra people to his side,” Pedersen smiled.
“But he grew through the battle and wow. One of the important skills you need to have as a young player is to adapt; to adapt to the level, to new players and to everything. It was really, really good.
“He has had a really good development, he has played 18s and 21 and then for us at Bolton. He's a great young player, wow."
While Alao may be one for the future, it is clear that Liverpool rate him highly enough to get the drop on other suitors and sign the defender before it is too late, avoiding a repeat of their fatal Guehi mistake.
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