Liverpool’s season went from bad to worse at the weekend, with Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest condemning Arne Slot to a 3-0 Anfield defeat and a fifth loss in six Premier League matches.
Though FSG retain the faith in the Dutch coach, who so confidently won the league title last season, it’s clear that results and performances need to improve quickly, else the Reds will find themselves shackled to mid-table and a campaign of misery.
It’s also clear that sporting director Richard Hughes will consider making another signing this January, having overseen a summer transfer window in which Liverpool paid over £400m on new players, and Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has been earmarked as the perfect fit.
However, Liverpool don’t have a bottomless pool of resources, and it may be the other end of the field which requires attention.
Liverpool ready to sign centre-back this winter
It almost feels absurd to think Liverpool need to spend in January after their record-breaking summer, but there’s no question that Liverpool would become threadbare if, say, Virgil van Dijk succumbed to a months-long injury setback.
Ibrahima Konate’s form has gone beyond the pale, and Liverpool’s full-back system is plumbing to imbalanced depths that were surely unfathomable after an ostensibly satisfactory spending spree.
That’s why Liverpool are considering a winter bid for Marc Guehi, having seen a deal for the Crystal Palace centre-half fall through on transfer deadline day at the start of September.
According to reports from Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool remain in pole position to sign Guehi and will be emboldened to learn that the Eagles are setting their sights on Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande as his replacement.
Reports from Spain in the last 24 hours corroborate those claims, suggesting that things are ‘practically a done deal’ and that ‘after several months of negotiations, the agreement appears to be almost finalised’.
Guehi is out of contract at the end of the season but Palace are expected to accept offers of £35m in January should one arrive.
While FSG would be wary of paying out for a player who can be snapped up for free only months down the line, Guehi is a rare talent, and Liverpool desperately need a defender.
Why Liverpool should sign Guehi now
Liverpool have already strengthened at centre-back this year through the £27m signing of Giovanni Leoni. The former Parma defender is only 18, but he’s among the most exciting talents in the world. He is also sidelined for nearly a year after rupturing his ACL on his Reds debut.
The uncertainty around Konate’s contract, and the Frenchman’s abject performances this year, emphasise the need for more depth, and Guehi has already been profiled extensively; he’s the man for the job.
The 25-year-old has played an instrumental part in Palace’s rise under Oliver Glasner’s wing, winning the FA Cup and then the Community Shield. The Londoners are currently fifth in the Premier League, with two losses from 12 games.
Liverpool, conversely, can’t stop losing, and they are leaking goals and lacking any semblance of security at the back. Guehi would fix that. Not only is he a “monster in defence”, as has been noted by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, but he is also among the most dynamic and intelligent modern centre-halves out there.
His range of passing is exactly what Liverpool need. Van Dijk is getting old, and Konate is hardly a convincing proponent of play-out-from-the-back football.
This is outlined by FBref’s data. According to the digital platform, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs in the Premier League this season for progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90.
This underscores Guehi’s confidence on the ball, and that’s exactly what Liverpool need, with analyst Raj Chohan saying that, partnered with Conor Bradley on the right side of the defence, the “build-up combination is horrible”.
Guehi, meanwhile, is two-footed and a driver of Glasner’s progressive vision in possession. He is also proving himself to be a more stable and convincing defender.
Matches (starts)
11 (11)
12 (12)
Goals
1
0
Assists
1
0
Touches*
65.9
73.3
Accurate passes*
45.1 (87%)
54.7 (90%)
Chances created*
0.6
0.4
Ball recoveries*
3.5
2.5
Dribbles*
0.1
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
3.3
2.0
Clearances*
5.1
5.7
Duels (won)*
5.9 (66%)
6.0 (65%)
Errors made
1
3
Though Konate remains a convincing aerial battler, his overall game has left so much to be desired, with errors rife and sure to be disabling any kind of confidence from his teammates.
He has actually been criticised by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher for being at the epicentre of all of Liverpool’s woes. Not quite, but there’s no denying he’s the weakest link in a fragile backline, and Slot cannot afford to persist with him for the duration of the campaign, not if he wishes to salvage things.
While Semenyo would be a neat addition, it’s true that Liverpool could crumble, truly, if they suffer a damaging defensive setback. Moreover, Rio Ngumoha has shown his class already this term and will be convinced that he has more to offer over the coming months.
Whether Liverpool opt to go this way or that this summer remains to be seen, but there’s no question that the Anfield side need to pull off a change or two, else they will flake away and be condemned to a truly disastrous campaign.
Guehi would ease the concerns and then some. The plan was to bring him over this summer, and the plan remains to seal his signature come the end of the season. Why not now?
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