Liverpool fans will be left wondering what could have been with Marc Guehi as the Reds' defensive woes continue, and Pep Guardiola's comments won't help lift their mood
James Findlater Content Editor
12:16, 25 Jan 2026
Pep Guardiola greets Marc Guehi after Manchester City's win over Wolves
Pep Guardiola has praised Marc Guehi following his Manchester City debut(Image: Getty Images)
If Liverpool fans were still feeling sore about Marc Guehi’s move to Manchester City, their mood will not have been lifted after this weekend.
Having come so close to signing the defender during the summer, the Reds took the curious decision not to make another attempt for Guehi this month, giving City a free run to secure a $27 million deal.
The move has been met with frustration by Liverpool supporters, who have been left baffled by their club’s lack of action given the injury problems in Arne Slot’s defense - a situation that looks to have only gotten worse this weekend.
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Joe Gomez was forced off during the first half of Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth, giving Slot yet another concern after having both Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Ibrahima Konate remains away following the death of his father.
Ryan Gravenberch was forced to step in alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defense, and Liverpool fans will no doubt have been wishing the club had made a move for Guehi after seeing their side’s top-four bid continue to falter.
The 25-year-old had made his debut for City just a few hours earlier as he helped his new club to a 2-0 win over Wolves, and it did feel like Pep Guardiola was rubbing salt into Liverpool’s wounds as he assessed his new signing’s first appearance.
Marc Guehi of Manchester City gives a thumbs up during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Marc Guehi made his debut for Manchester City on Saturday(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
“He knows everything,” Guardiola said after City’s win on Saturday.
“I remember it is similar to when Ruben [Dias] arrived and he had incredible focus for every action.
“He’s not come for six months, he’s come for many years. He’s the perfect age and he’s the perfect signing for many, many years. He’s a guy you can rely on. I’ve seen it in two sessions. How he sees, how he moves, how he talks, how he reads the situations.”
And Liverpool could do with that right now, especially when even Van Dijk looks to be off his usual game.
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Guehi himself was a little more reserved than Guardiola about his City debut, but that won’t stop Liverpool fans from wondering what could have been.
"It was OK from my part, I have got a lot of learning to do to get up to speed,” Guehi told the BBC’s Match of the Day. “There's a lot of details and positioning and certain things but it has been really exciting.
"There's a good mentality about the group, important that the focus is on the next game, making sure we get the win. We need the mentality and the intensity within the side and hopefully we will keep that going."