Arne Slot makes 'ridiculous' Marc Guehi admission after Liverpool transfer collapse from Crystal Palace

Arne Slot has discussed Liverpool’s failure to sign Marc Guehi.

The Reds were unable to sign the Crystal Palace captain on summer transfer deadline day. Liverpool had a £35 million bid accepted by the Eagles and Guehi underwent a medical ahead of a move.

However, Palace pulled the plug at the 11th hour. They were set to sign Igor Julio on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion but he instead opted to make the switch to West Ham United.

Slot, speaking ahead of Sunday’s trip to Burnley, admitted that Liverpool were trying to sign Guehi. But he was tight-lipped on whether the Reds will make another approach for the Eagles captain in the January transfer window.

“It would be ridiculous if I was going to deny that we were close to signing him,” said Liverpool head coach Slot. “I think it would be ridiculous if I was to deny that we were close to signing him. These things happen in football and it has happened to our players in the past that they thought they were so close to signing somewhere else and then at the last moment things changed, this can happen.

"For me, we would have liked to have signed him of course because we were in for him and if we feel we can strengthen the team with a chance in the market then we will not hesitate to do so and that is what we tried to do.

"We played Arsenal and [Ibrahima] Konate and [Virgil] van Dijk played an outstanding game and Joe Gomez came in 20 minutes before the end and did good as well. With us signing Giovanni Leoni who had his first international call up, it's not like all of a sudden we don't have options in that position anymore.

"It is a pity, not only for us but for the player I think. He is in a good place playing at Crystal Palace where he won the FA Cup and Community Shield with a very good manager as well. Let's see what the future brings for him and for us."