Liverpool came face-to-face with Marc Guehi at the weekend, months after nearly signing him – and seeing him in Manchester City colors raises some tough questions
Close to joining Liverpool in the summer, Marc Guehi lined up against the Reds for Man City at the weekend (Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
When Liverpool’s deal for Marc Guehi collapsed at the 11th hour on deadline day, there was a sense that the Reds were likely to revive the move in the future.
But fast-forward four months or so, and the defender is a Manchester City player. Failing to get the transfer done at the first time of asking was always going to invite complications, not least with Guehi’s contract at Crystal Palace ticking into its final six months. Even so, seeing a domestic rival swoop in to secure a deal was bitterly disappointing.
Liverpool is already struggling on the homegrown front. And immediate defensive reinforcements would not have gone amiss, with Joe Gomez in a near-constant battle for fitness.
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Long term, Liverpool will need to think about a successor for Virgil van Dijk. And the future of Ibrahima Konate beyond the end of the season remains in doubt, with a new contract yet to materialize.
The recruitment team has at least begun to address these concerns, completing a January deal for Jeremy Jacquet. But he won’t join until the summer (and he’s injured now anyway). In the meantime, Liverpool has to watch Guehi in action for Man City.
Emile Heskey is among the many observers to have been frustrated by seeing Guehi in sky blue. He believes Liverpool has let a star slip through its fingers.
Emile Heskey has been left frustrated by Marc Guehi’s move to Manchester City(Image: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“Marc Guehi is a fantastic player and I’m very disappointed Liverpool didn’t follow up with their summer offer to buy him in January,” Heskey told aGamble. “For him to turn up at Manchester City last month made me think, ‘What’s happened there?’ – because I thought Liverpool had the deal under control even when it didn’t go through last year.
“He’s a very solid and intelligent defender who understands how to slow games down, but also how to build up play from the back. He came from Chelsea’s academy, so obviously, has the experience and understanding of playing for a big club. It’s so frustrating watching him play well for another club and potentially being the difference maker in games like that.”
Liverpool can point to a number of valid reasons for not reviving a deal in January. For one thing, Man City was made to fork out more than $27 million for a player with just months left on his deal.
Liverpool will add Jeremy Jacquet to the ranks in the summer(Image: LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
But perhaps even more significantly, Guehi’s looming contract expiry meant he could hold out for huge personal terms, on par with the kind of numbers he would have commanded as a free agent. Liverpool was never going to be held to ransom on matters like wages and signing-on fees.
And the defensive shortlist was never Guehi or bust. Injury notwithstanding, Jacquet is an impressive acquisition, and one which arguably fits more with Liverpool’s style given the Frenchman’s superior aerial dominance.
Even so, it was hard to watch as Guehi was so impressive against Liverpool at Anfield. He did have a slight red card scare when Mohamed Salah got the better of him, with the referee deeming that there was sufficient cover, but it was an otherwise faultless afternoon.
In particular, his composure on the ball is something from which Liverpool would have really benefited. Van Dijk remains as cool as ever in possession, but teams often just let Konate have it, gambling that he won’t be able to make anything happen.
That’s certainly a far cry from the halcyon days of Joel Matip. And as long as Liverpool’s defensive unit still requires work, people will continue to glance over at Man City and wonder what might have been with Guehi.