He was meant to be the final piece of Liverpool’s transfer jigsaw, but instead, a deal to bring Marc Guehi to Anfield collapsed at the 11th hour. It marked a devastating development as far as Guehi was concerned, given his heart had been set on signing for the Premier League champions and an agreement had already been struck before Crystal Palace backed out at the 11th hour.
It was a bitter blow for Liverpool too, as they look to have been left short in the centre-back department this term. But, it could also end up proving costly for Palace, who will almost certainly lose Guehi on a free transfer at the end of the season.
The FA Cup winners had pulled the plug on the transfer at the last minute amid concerns they wouldn’t be able to replace him. However, while they might benefit from his services for the next few months, come the end of the campaign, it’s likely Guehi will saunter out of Selhurst Park with a decision on his next club resting solely in his own hands.
But before the soon-to-be out-of-contract star can decide his next step, Guehi still has to fulfil his duties as a Palace player, starting this weekend when Liverpool make the trip to south London. Palace, who have taken nine points from their opening five matches, will welcome pace-setters Liverpool for a Saturday afternoon clash in the capital.
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It isn’t the first time this season that Guehi will come face-to-face with the Reds, given the two played each other in the Community Shield. It proved a trophy-laden day for Guehi and Palace, as the FA Cup winners triumphed on penalties, but that was just as the talk of a move to Liverpool was starting to pick up.
This weekend’s outing has a different feel to it, not least because in Guehi’s mind, he ought to have been lining up for Arne Slot’s men instead. However, given recent developments regarding Giovanni Leoni, Liverpool might be forced to reignite their interest sooner rather than later.
The teenage defender ruptured his ACL during the mid-week clash with Crystal Palace, leaving Liverpool with just three senior centre-backs in their squad.
Initial reports suggested Liverpool had no intention of signing Guehi in January and would instead wait to pick him up on a free in the summer. However, with the latest injury development in the Liverpool ranks, Guehi could find himself playing for Liverpool this season after all.