Liverpool will reportedly look to reignite their pursuit of a marquee defender in the January transfer window, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi of strong interest.
Liverpool are reported to have funds available to sign a marquee defender in January after failing to land targets such as Marc Guehi in the summer window.
Arne Slot‘s side are first in both the Premier League and Champions League tables and the Dutchman has won 15 of his first 17 games in charge.
While Slot’s Reds share some similarities with Jurgen Klopp‘s Liverpool teams, there has been a greater emphasis this term on controlling matches, and this has proved fruitful given the Merseysiders have conceded just six goals in the top flight.
This record makes Liverpool the best defensive side in the division, and their tally of six clean sheets after 11 games is a remarkable improvement on 2023-24’s showing considering it took the club 17 league fixtures to reach the same total last season.
Slot could be set to add to his defensive ranks in the January window, with Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi touted as a serious option according to Football Insider senior correspondent Pete O’Rourke.
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Guehi assessed
The England international will have just 18 months left on his Palace contract by the time the winter window opens, and his reported summer price tag of £70m could be set to drop as a result.
Guehi has not enjoyed a particularly successful start to the current campaign, with the seven points the Eagles have collected after 11 games leaving the side in 18th place and in the relegation zone.
However, the Palace centre-back is not solely responsible for his side’s poor outings under Oliver Glasner, and he has shown in the past that he is capable of playing at a high level.
Guehi is not only an excellent penalty-box defender, but he is also adept at reading the game in front of him and anticipating danger before it occurs.
Additionally, his skillset on the ball should not be underestimated, and the Englishman has even operated in a makeshift midfield role on occasion, most notably during a 5-0 win against Unai Emery‘s Aston Villa in May.
However, Liverpool may hold reservations about Guehi’s ability in the air, especially as he has averaged an aerial win rate of roughly 55% in his prior three seasons for Palace.
This is significantly less than Liverpool centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who boast a win percentage of 71.7% and 82.4% respectively.
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Can Liverpool cope without defensive reinforcement?
In light of their excellent defensive record, some have argued that Liverpool do not necessarily need to make an addition at the heart of defence.
The Reds have not only conceded the fewest goals of any team in the top flight, but they also have strong underlying metrics, including the fact they have faced the least xG.
Having said that, it remains to be seen whether Konate can continue to showcase his immense talents given his concerning injury history, and captain Van Dijk will be 34 in the summer of 2025 and may need his minutes managed.
Trent Alexander-Arnold also picked up a hamstring injury against Aston Villa, and with central-defender Joe Gomez seen as an option at full-back, it could be beneficial to consider reinforcing the backline.
Irrespective of concerns the club may hold about the Place centre-back, there is no doubt that Guehi would at least strengthen Liverpool’s formidable defensive unit, even if he were to initially join the club as third choice.
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