Liverpool manager Arne Slot has dropped the biggest hint yet that he is ready to try again to sign Marc Guehi in 2026 after admitting his major “disappointment” at failing to sign him on deadline day – and our well-placed source believe the Reds have two clear approaches to play their ‘trump card’.
The Merseysiders spent huge sums this summer on strengthening their title-winning squad, with no less than £440m splashed out on new additions. But despite welcoming the marquee signings of the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to name but three, there was one man – Guehi – who slipped through the Liverpool net.
The Reds came within a whisker of getting a deal over the line for Guehi on deadline day, having agreed a £35m deal with Crystal Palace that would also have guaranteed the Eagles a 10% cut of any future deal.
But when Palace pulled the plug at the 11th hour owing to a failure to land on a quality replacement, sources revealed to TEAMtalk how the 25-times capped England was left “betrayed” and “devastated” by the transfer collapse.
Now it has emerged that Guehi is not the only one left distraught by that narrow miss, with Slot breaking his silence on the deal and having also revealed his devastation at failing to bring the 25-year-old to Anfield.
“Yeah, yeah. That is definitely the first part. The second part is, at Liverpool, we have so many good players, so we would have liked to sign him,” Slot told ‘One on One’, a Sky Sports Premier League podcast.
“That’s out in the open, so I’m not going to deny that. But I also know, and knew, that we have very good options in that position as well.
“But we are a club that, if we see an opportunity in the market and we can sign a very good player, we are always trying to do so. But if that doesn’t work out, I’m more than happy to work with the players we’ve got. For us, it was, of course, a disappointment, but for the player, I assume as well, because he was expecting to come to us.”
While Guehi has returned to Palace, where he will stay until January at least, Slot’s confession means that the Reds are likely to try again – and will do so ahead of three other confirmed Reds targets….
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To that end, our correspondent Rudy Galetti has this week exclusively revealed the Reds are admirers of Napoli defender Sam Beukema, while links have also re-emerged this week to Ronald Araujo, amid claims Barcelona are open to the sale of the Uruguayan.
Our journalist Dean Jones also exclusively revealed that the Reds are one of three sides also keeping a watch on Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke.
And with Virgil van Dijk now approaching veteran status and Ibrahima Konate’s deal due to expire next summer, it is not impossible Liverpool could look to sign two centre-halves, but sources insist it is very clear that Guehi remains the number one objective.
As we understand, the Reds could move again for Guehi in the winter window despite a widespread acceptance they may also wait until the summer when they could land him on a free.
In the words of our transfer correspondent Fraser Fletcher, ‘sources have told TEAMtalk that suggestions that Liverpool will wait until Guehi’s contract expires in the summer of 2026, making him a free agent, may be misguided, as transfer chess pieces are already in motion.
‘La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are said to be eyeing Guehi for a January move, adding urgency to Liverpool’s quest to secure the services of the former Chelsea centre-back. However, these reports are to be read with caution.
‘Palace, aware of the risk of losing their captain for nothing next summer, face mounting pressure to cash in during the January transfer window.
‘Clubs often leverage media narratives to spark bidding wars or inflate fees, and Palace’s posturing could be a tactic to extract maximum value.
‘However, Liverpool, known for their shrewd transfer dealings, hold a trump card: Guehi’s desire to join them.
‘Liverpool’s strategy could hinge on a calculated lowball offer in January. By presenting a modest bid, they might tempt Palace to accept less than their desired valuation rather than lose Guehi for free months later.
‘Additionally, Liverpool could reach an agreement in principle with Guehi in January for a summer move, thereby securing his services without a transfer fee.
‘This dual approach – low offer or an agreement in principle – puts the Reds in a commanding position.’
Liverpool latest: Ekitike transfer bombshell; Slot copying ‘blueprint’
Meanwhile, the agent for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez has dived into summer speculation suggesting his client could have joined Liverpool – but Slot has been left with another headache amid strong claims Ekitike ‘wouldn’t have joined the Reds’ had he known Isak was signing.
Elsewhere, off the back of another Liverpool late show, on Wednesday night Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison has hit back at the narrative suggesting the Reds have been lucky this season, with a perfect 60-word rebuke to their critics.
And finally, it’s been revealed that Slot used the summer window as the perfect time to put his own stamp on the Liverpool squad he inherited from Jurgen Klopp, with the Dutchman copying a ‘blueprint’ of a top European side in an effort to emulate their success and with one player seen as a potential catalyst for Champions League glory.