Marc Guehi is a player who has long been linked with a Liverpool move.
The centre-back is in the final year of his contract with Crystal Palace, and if an extension to his stay isn’t agreed upon, the Englishman will be allowed to leave for free at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Liverpool have been the team most linked with a move for the centre-back, but since Steve Parish is demanding a fee worth around £40million for his captain, the Reds have decided against making a move thus far.
Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge
Photo by Vince Mignott/MB Media/Getty Images
All the recent reports would suggest that the transfer is just around the corner, but after the performance that Palace put in during their Europa Conference League game on Thursday, Guehi’s exit doesn’t feel as clear as it did.
Marc Guehi wants to continue playing until he’s 40
Whenever a footballer is asked what the end goal for their career is, most would say to win a trophy or even win the Ballon d’Or.
However, there’s only a tiny percentage of players who actually get to do those things, and unless you’re at the top of your game for an extended period, those things are less likely to happen.
But when Guehi was asked about what his end goal was, he replied with a different answer than what you’d expect from a player of his age.
“Play until I’m 40,” he said in a clip shared by BBC Sport via X.
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“Obviously, winning trophies is great, playing in different competitions, but I think that [longevity] is the real testament to how professional someone is.
“Obviously, there’s going to be injuries and that’s always unfortunate, but you know, god willing I can play for that long.”
Liverpool only have 10 days left to make any final decisions on their squad
As everyone will know, Liverpool have been through a massive amount of changes this summer, with several long-term members of their squad getting shipped out.
And, while on paper the team feels a lot stronger, the fact that it’s still going to take a few weeks for them to all gel means that they could end up on the back foot more than once.
However, since there are still 10 days left of the transfer window, there’s still plenty of time for changes to be made, and even though Arne Slot’s men don’t likely need any more change, it’s hard to look past how thin the Reds’ squad is this term.
Arne Slot watches on during Liverpool's Premier League matcha against Bournemouth at Anfield.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Guehi could be the perfect solution for their defensive problems, and if someone such as Ibrahima Konate chooses against extending his contract, Liverpool will have a perfect replacement lined up for him.
At the end of the day, it’s up to Slot and Richard Hughes to decide what they do with Liverpool’s first-team squad, but for now, it’s clear that their transfer business shouldn’t be done yet.