Liverpool have spent much of the 2025/26 season devoid of quality centre-back options.
Giovanni Leoni made just one appearance before suffering a long-term injury, and it’s hard to know if the youngster would have been a regular starter anyway.
Elsewhere, Joe Gomez has either been injured or needed as right-back cover for Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.
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Most recently, it was shared that Ibrahima Konate missed Marseille training for family reasons and has been left out of the matchday squad on Wednesday.
Even before Konate had to leave, it was already obvious that a new centre-back needed to be targeted in the current transfer window.
Name a Liverpool transfer window worse than January 2026…
Liverpool are yet to sign a first-team player in January and have lost out on some big targets…
Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace reacts at the end of the game, showing his surprise at scoring a goal, during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace at Villa Park.
Credit: Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
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Liverpool concern over Marc Guehi finances explained
The obvious option, given Liverpool made a £35m offer in the summer for him, was Marc Guehi.
However, the Reds decided against a move, and the England international has signed for Manchester City.
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Now, speaking on The Athletic FC Podcast, David Ornstein has shared what he’s heard from Liverpool about them not pursuing the stopper this month.
He said: “The word from Liverpool is that the finances didn’t make sense to them, 20 million pounds plus salary and agent commissions and whatever the total package would be for just four months of football. That’s their version of events.
“Others will say that after what happened in the summer, he didn’t want to go there and his focus was on Manchester City, where he’s ended up and says that it was always City, to quote him.
“Others would have been there in the summer too, possibly Arsenal, Bayern Munich were pushing hard, Barcelona were in the mix. I think he was due to go and visit maybe Bayern Munich and Barcelona I was hearing, which he’s entitled to do as a free agent.
“You can sign a pre-contract agreement legally with a foreign club. I think a lot has gone on in that situation. We don’t know the exact ins and outs of it yet.
“However, Manchester City put their best foot forward. They’ve come up trumps, they’ve won the race, and it’s an exceptional signing.”
Which missed centre-back transfer will Liverpool regret the most and why?
Jeremy Jacquet points and smiles at the crowd after Rennes' Ligue 1 match against Paris FC (Credit: Getty Images/Jean Catuffe).
Marc Guehi warms up ahead of Crystal Palace's Carabao Cup match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Vince Mignott/MB Media).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Jean Catuffe/Vince Mignott/MB Media
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Liverpool had no reason not to sign Marc Guehi
While that may be the message coming out of Anfield right now, it’s incredibly frustrating and makes little sense.
The Reds had £35m available to spend on Guehi in the summer, and unless that sum has since vanished, why couldn’t they have just coughed that up?
Ornstein said the fee was £20m, so the £15m surplus could easily have been put towards his wages and any agent fees.
Yes, the overall package may have ended up being a bit more than what Liverpool would have paid last summer, but it’s hard to see the Reds finding a centre-back as good as Guehi for that low a fee at any point in the next year.
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