Not Guehi: International captain on Liverpool's radar as new Premier League centre-half emerges on shortlist
Liverpool continue to be linked with Marc Guehi but a new centre-half name from the Premier League has emerged.
There is one area of the park where Liverpool fans would agree that needs more depth and more quality for Arne Slot.
Midfield is well-catered for, even if a naturally defensive midfielder would be a welcome addition, as would more goals from a wide area. There is a reason why a move for Antoine Semenyo wouldn’t be a surprise and why Yan Diomande has been linked with an £87m transfer from RB Leipzig. It is at the heart of the defence where the Reds are short of numbers though, especially with Ibrahima Konate yet to agree to a new contract despite talks taking place for well over a year now.
Oliver Glasner puts his foot down on Marc Guehi’s future
The late collapse of the Marc Guehi transfer doesn’t seem to have affected Liverpool’s place in the race for the Crystal Palace defender’s signature, although there is a long list of possible alternatives, should they miss out again. A January transfer seems unlikely with Oliver Glasner claiming this week: "Of course we want to keep everyone," he said in response to speculation about his captain, in fact, the Eagles boss is keen to strengthen.
"Let's see... Everybody can be proud (of our year) but for me, it feels like we are not really far away from being really constantly in these areas (in the league table, competing in Europe and challenging for trophies). But to be honest, little things we are missing that are important to stay where we are."
New names on Liverpool’s centre-half shopping list
According to Lewis Steele of The Daily Mail, Guehi isn’t the only name on Liverpool’s list with another Premier League regular being considered too: “Guehi also has suitors at Manchester City, Bayern Munich and others on the continent. The defender would get a better financial package if he moved on a free transfer, as it would leave more money for the buying club to splurge on his wages.
“Funnily enough, Maxence Lacroix, his Palace defensive colleague, has been discussed in the past by Liverpool. Joel Ordonez at Club Brugge is another they have kept an eye on, especially before they signed Leoni, while Oscar Mingueza at Celta Vigo has been tentatively linked in Spanish reports. Brentford’s Nathan Collins has also been mooted as a potential defensive reinforcement.” Nathan Collins’ name has come out of the blue but it makes sense given his experience in the Premier League and solid, no-nonsense reputation. His experience as a captain at international level will also be a key factor and a similar trait to Guehi.
Despite the various names being mentioned, it would still be a surprise if anyone other than Marc Guehi wasn’t lining up alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of Liverpool’s defence next season.