Chairman admits he was so close to selling his ‘great’ player to Liverpool

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Liverpool had a summer of change this season with several players joining their ranks.

However, there were one or two rumoured transfer targets who slipped through the cracks.

Indeed, the Reds likely didn’t have much of their transfer budget left after spending over £450 million, but there would have been some sort of wriggle room.

Now that the 2025-26 season is fully underway, fans have been looking back to the summer window and looking at what could’ve changed Liverpool’s fortunes this term.

One of those moves was the transfer of Marc Guehi. The Englishman was long-linked with a Liverpool move, but nothing ever came to fruition.

And now, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has just shared how close the Anfield outfit actually were to signing the former Chelsea man.

Steve Parish admits keeping Marc Guehi was a very “marginal” call

It was clear to all of Liverpool’s fans that they needed some new defenders added to their ranks.

And, even though Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Giovanni Leoni were all brought in, it still feels like more should have been done, especially now Leoni has been ruled out for the season.

This is why Guehi’s arrival would have been perfect.

Even though his transfer didn’t make it over the line, that doesn’t mean Liverpool weren’t close to signing him, as Crystal Palace chairman Parish has now shared that it was a “very marginal call” to keep his captain.

“Well, we did quite an analytical look at it in terms of what do we think Marc’s worth in terms of places in the Premier League,” he said on the Men in Blazers Podcast.

“Obviously, what does it do to that mentality, that psyche, that belief system, all those undefinables? And what’s the upside and what’s the downside?

“He was a very marginal call. Marc was great about it as a person. They made an offer, it was Liverpool, it was a massive club.

“He was obviously interested in going, but he was fine about staying.

“If that was the decision we make, obviously, it means all of the balls in his court tremendously as a player, and he’s got the choice of wherever he wants to go. So it was a very difficult one, but I think definitely the right one.”

Liverpool must go after Marc Guehi in the January transfer window

Liverpool now only have three senior centre-backs to choose from for the rest of the season.

As mentioned, they would’ve had four, which would’ve been fine, but since Leoni tore his ACL, he’s unlikely to return before the end of the campaign.

This means that a lot of pressure is falling onto the shoulders of Virgil van Dijk and Konate.

Indeed, the Anfield outfit do have Joe Gomez to deploy if and when needed, but since he’s rather injury-prone, he’s not all that reliable.

This is why going after Guehi in January makes complete sense, even if it is set to be a tad difficult for them to do so.

The Englishman has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League, and, with him only having six months left on his deal at Selhurst Park, he could be available for a cut-rate fee.

As long as no other teams, such as Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, go after him, Guehi could be prised away sooner than many think.