Liverpool may be forced back into the transfer market sooner than they planned – with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi once again in the conversation.
The Reds thought they had settled their centre-back puzzle for now when Giovanni Leoni arrived to complete a quartet alongside Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.
But 18-year-old Leoni’s agonising setback, a cruciate ligament issue, has unsettled that balance and raised questions over whether Arne Slot has enough depth to navigate a season chasing silverware on all fronts. He could face months on the sidelines and that rocks the squad structure.
Liverpool’s model seems clear in that they want top central defenders to rotate through the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups. Losing one will be a risk, and we all know Guehi was the man they wanted before Palace slammed the door on a late summer move.
The dilemma now is timing – because all parties had expected a new Guehi attempt to happen at the end of the season.
Liverpool will wait to learn the full extent of Leoni’s injury. If his recovery is straightforward, the club may stick. But if it drags out, recruitment chiefs will have to reopen discussions about reinforcements.
That does not mean Guehi is guaranteed to walk through the door.
Palace do not want to lose a key asset mid-season – and even the player himself is said to be prioritising stability with a World Cup on the horizon.
He is interested in joining Liverpool still, but knows he will be in a strong position in the summer to negotiate with other clubs, too, as a free agent.
Behind the scenes, Guehi’s name is still live at the top of the shortlist at Anfield.
The January window hinges not just on Palace’s resolve, but whether Leoni’s injury serves as a warning sign Liverpool cannot afford to ignore for the second half of the season.
