Liverpool have spent this week confronting an uncomfortable truth about where they stand, both in the market and on the pitch. Marc Guehi’s move to Manchester City reopened a familiar scar. As reported by [The Athletic](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6980553/2026/01/20/transfer-news-premier-league-latest/?source=emp_shared_article), Liverpool were close to landing the Crystal Palace and England centre-back in the summer, only to fall short late in the window. Now he has joined a direct rival, at precisely the moment injuries have thinned Liverpool’s defensive options.
Supporters reacted with predictable anger, heightened by Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley at Anfield. Being booed off after failing to beat a side second-bottom of the table felt symbolic rather than isolated. This was not frustration born of a single result, but of a creeping sense that Liverpool are being left exposed by caution.
There was at least one small mercy. “Unlike in previous weeks, there were no fresh injury concerns afterwards,” The Athletic noted, which matters when Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are already ruled out for the season, and Alexander Isak continues his recovery from surgery on a broken leg.
Guehi Decision Explained
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Liverpool’s decision not to challenge Manchester City for Guehi was framed as logic rather than reluctance. In September, he was seen as “a brilliant market opportunity.” By January, that calculation had shifted. With only five months left on his contract, Liverpool judged that paying a £35million fee, plus wages and agent costs, no longer aligned with their model.
Attempting to sign a player so close to free agency “is complex and requires a significant financial outlay.” Ultimately, “the total package was considered too much for Liverpool.” It is a rationale that makes sense on a spreadsheet, even if it lands poorly when the alternative is watching City strengthen again.
January Strategy and Squad Depth
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The Guehi saga has not altered Liverpool’s wider approach. Fenway Sports Group remain reluctant to sanction major January deals unless a player fits both immediate needs and long-term planning. The rest of the window “is expected to be quiet, unless a suitable market opportunity comes up.”
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Internally, there is faith in cover. At right-back, Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez and Calvin Ramsay can deputise for Bradley. Centrally, depth becomes more fragile if Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate suffer setbacks, but the club appear prepared to ride that risk.
Outgoings and Uncertainty
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Liverpool are also intent on standing still in terms of departures. There is “no appetite to offload” fringe players if it weakens the squad. Trey Nyoni is likely to stay despite widespread interest, and Federico Chiesa is not being loaned to Juventus.
Most movement will involve loans for younger players such as Trent Kone-Doherty, Amara Nallo, Luke Chambers and Rhys Williams. The unresolved situation of Harvey Elliott adds another layer. Aston Villa are unlikely to trigger the previously expected £35million purchase, as his appearances under Unai Emery have been limited.
Our View – EPL Index Analysis
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From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this all feels worryingly familiar. The logic behind not pushing for Guehi is understandable, but football rarely rewards patience when rivals are ruthless. Manchester City did not hesitate. Liverpool did, and that contrast is what stings most.
The boos after the 1-1 draw with Burnley were not about one poor afternoon. They were about accumulation. Fans see a squad stretched thin, a defence patched together, and a sense that risk is being managed rather than confronted. When injuries bite, prudence starts to look like passivity.
There is also a fear that Liverpool are overestimating their margin for error. Counting on cover only works if availability holds. Betting on no further injuries at centre-back is optimistic at best. Supporters can accept a quiet January, but only if performances show resilience and invention. Recent weeks have offered neither consistently.