The clock really is ticking on whether Liverpool are going to wrap up any summer transfer business.
Unusually, the Reds are still yet to make a new signing as the final week of the market comes around.
Only one team in the history of the Premier League previously went through a summer window without bringing any players in. That was Tottenham in 2020.
From a Liverpool point of view, they have come close to that in the past. 2019 saw only Adrian arrive for the first-team squad, with Ibrahima Konate the sole new face in 2021. But to sign no one at all would be a new low at Anfield.
Thankfully, there is still a little time left to put that right. One area Arne Slot could do with something extra in is central defence. With that in mind, Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi has been heavily linked.
Could Liverpool make late Marc Guehi move?
Liverpool sold Sepp van den Berg to Brentford for £25m on Thursday. As a result, they are now down to four senior centre-backs, plus Nat Phillips.
While some might argue that that is enough for the time being, Joe Gomez’s future is also up in the air, meaning the Reds could be left with just three.
Of course, the path could be cleared for Amara Nallo to step up from the academy, but it would be a better idea for Liverpool to bring in a player who can be a starting option straight away.
Guehi could fit the bill and there have been claims that Liverpool could make a late move for the England man. Commentating on that for The Transfers Podcast, though, journalist David Ornstein said that although the Reds could sign a defender, it’s unlikely to be Guehi.
“It’s true, Liverpool are looking at centre-back options because there’s expected to be a departure for Sepp van den Berg for in excess of £20 million,” Ornstein said before the Dutchman’s move was completed.
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“Joe Gomez was left out of the matchday squad against Ipswich, which could result in a transfer, but that hasn’t started to develop rapidly just yet. And if both of those two leave, I think Liverpool will look to bring in a central defender.
“At the same time, they’re fully conscious, obviously, that Virgil van Dijk has entered the final 12 months of his contract. And it’s unclear whether he is going to extend or not, whether Liverpool can strike a deal with him and his representatives,” adds the reporter.
“And also, he’s at an age where you will always be thinking about contingency plans.
“And yeah, I pointed out that Guehi is a player who they’ve got respect for, as do other clubs. But I don’t see that one being a rival for Newcastle at this point in time. Newcastle are the only team I know of being in any kind of meaningful discussions.”
Time to rule Marc Guehi out
Liverpool are fans of Guehi, that much is obvious by now. However, it feels like if they were interested to the degree that they wanted the 24-year-old to play for them, they’d have made their move.
Guehi is clearly available for the right price this summer. Granted, that is an incredibly big price, but if any team can hit around £70m, then Palace will sell him.
For Liverpool, that just simply isn’t going to happen. The Reds are not going to spend anything like that kind of money on a player who isn’t clearly going to improve what they already have.
And although Guehi is a good player and would add something to the Liverpool squad, he is not a noticeable upgrade on Konate or even Gomez.
Newcastle have been frustrated so far in their pursuit of Guehi but it still seems like that is a live transfer that could happen. Liverpool don’t appear likely to get in the way of that.
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