Liverpool remain interested in Marc Guehi but it looks like they might try and wait to get him on a free.
The Reds need a centre-back and it comes as no surprise. What else that is not a surprise is that they are really keen for that person to be Guehi, but whether they get him is up in the air.
When January rolls around, he will have just six months left on his deal and can start talking to clubs abroad, meaning Liverpool could miss out on him if they are not careful.
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Not only is waiting for him a risk, but Ben Foster has warned the Reds that it might be pointless trying to sign him on a free anyway, suggesting that making a January move is essential.
Marc Guehi will cost just as much in the summer due to wage demands, says Ben Foster
Liverpool had a £35m deal for Guehi agreed in the summer, but it fell through at the last minute.
If they are to sign him in January, they would likely have to pay similar, although it is unlikely that the Reds would even go close to that figure given his contract situation.
They would certainly save themselves some money on paper should they get him in the summer, but according to Foster, they would not be saving themselves much money at all.
“Marc Guehi could go to anybody in the world. If he lets his contract run down to the summer, he can sign for whoever he wants,” he said on the Fozcast.
“At that point there he gets to say, ‘I want £250,000 a week’ or ‘I want £300,000,’ because if he gets four, five or six teams sniffing at him and wanting him, he’ll get it as well. The amount of money this guy’s about to earn is honestly outrageous.
“With the signing on fee, you haven’t got to pay £40m or £50m for a player like Marc Guehi, instead of that, he can say, ‘Give me a signing on fee of £30m and we’ll call it quits.’ It’s crazy money.”
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Although it was Crystal Palace who pulled the plug last minute in the summer, it was Liverpool’s fault for trying to wait it out and save money.
Now, if they seriously want Guehi, they have to get him in January as they will not be able to compete financially in the summer should the likes of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich come calling.
Liverpool might be frontrunners for Guehi signature, but a lot can change between now and then, especially with the World Cup coming up too, which can be his chance to prove himself properly to the rest of the world.
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