Liverpool supporters are more desperate than ever to see Marc Guehi join their club as soon as possible after defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
While fans were keen to sign the centre-back before the transfer deadline over the summer, there was an acceptance that the Reds probably had enough options in the meantime.
However, after Giovanni Leoni picked up a season-ending knee injury, that feeling has now changed.
To make matters worse, Ibrahima Konate is in poor form, highlighting how fragile Liverpool currently are in central defence.
Konate was criticised for his performance against Crystal Palace, while Guehi had a good game. The Palace captain even set up Eddie Nketiah’s last-second winner.
This has led to increased focus over whether Liverpool can sign Guehi in January or at the end of the campaign. Assessing the 25-year-old’s options, Wayne Rooney has now weighed in on what he thinks will happen.
Wayne Rooney hopes Marc Guehi avoids Liverpool move
There is no guarantee that Guehi could be the player to fix Liverpool’s current defensive fragilities.
Nevertheless, the England international is enjoying a good moment, and the Reds should be kicking themselves for not getting a deal over the line at the end of August.
Guehi will have other options come January and next summer, and when asked which club he would join if he were in the former Chelsea man’s shoes, Rooney confirmed he would not be moving to Anfield.
“Definitely not Liverpool!” laughed the Man United icon. “No, listen, I think he’ll have options, not just in England, in Europe as well.
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“I’ve just got a feeling Arsenal and Chelsea might come in and take Liverpool out of it. But Liverpool for me is the best city in the world, so if he does join that’s where he’ll be going, so just enjoy Liverpool. But I hope he doesn’t, because I think he’d improve them.”
Rooney impressed by ‘special’ Guehi
With more than three months to go before the January window opens, it is impossible to say whether Liverpool will be in a position where they feel they need to go for Guehi in the winter.
However, the Reds have shown before that they will move transfers forward if they feel the need to.
In January 2022 they moved quickly to stop Luis Diaz joining Tottenham, for example, and Rooney has suggested it may be worth doing so again in order to land the ‘special’ Guehi.
“I think he’s a special player,” raved the Premier League legend. “He’s a good size, he’s not the tallest but he’s good in the air, he can play with both feet, he’s aggressive.
“I think he’ll be a really top player in the next few years. Will he be at Palace next year? I really doubt it.”
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