Liverpool look to be coasting to the Premier League title at this moment in time, but Arne Slot’s Reds will want to guard against any complacency seeping in heading into what could be a sensational 2025.
Of course, it’s hard not to get carried away if you’re a fan of the Anfield giants currently, especially when you consider the Dutchman has steered his side to just one defeat all season long from 18 clashes to sit pretty at the top of the pile on a mammoth 45 points.
Still, January could see the ex-Feyenoord boss add some more numbers to his super-confident group in the hope some fresh blood can get his table-topping team further across the line to an unbelievable top-flight triumph.
Liverpool preparing move for “sensational” defender
As per reports from Spain, Liverpool are allegedly preparing a mega move for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi this January to bolster their options at the back.
Unfortunately for the Reds, personnel in the centre-back positions isn’t plentiful at this moment in time, with Joe Gomez coming off injured versus West Ham United last time out, alongside Ibrahima Konate remaining sidelined.
Therefore, a big money move for the Eagles captain is now said to be in the offing, with a £65m offer reportedly heading Palace’s way shortly.
With the future of Virgil Van Dijk also up in the air owing to his contract running down, it is crucial that Liverpool start looking for more bodies in the heart of defence, with Guehi looking to be their desired man once more having been linked with a switch to Merseyside back in August.
He could be ready for this step up in quality, having once been labelled as “sensational” by Palace chairman Steve Parish, on top of his many similarities to Reds colossus Konate.
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What Guehi could offer Liverpool
England centre-back Guehi deserves all the praise that has come his way since making the switch to South London, with his appearance total at Palace now stretching to 133 games.
From those clashes, Guehi has shown off his ability to be a reliable goalscorer coming up from the back with seven goals next to his name, alongside also being a brute force in the air with 5.5 duels won on average this season in the Premier League.
The in-demand 24-year-old is just a very well-rounded presence with his composure on the ball another standout attribute from his repertoire, displayed in the clip above and in his 44.2 accurate passes averaged per top-flight game this campaign to date.
Konate is much the same for Slot’s men when he’s at the top of his game with the pair perhaps striking up an imposing partnership if a move for Guehi does take place in January.
|
Guehi’s over the last year vs Konate |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat – per 90 mins |
Guehi |
Konate |
|
Attempted passes |
53.99 |
69.92 |
|
Pass completion % |
83.9% |
88.7% |
|
Progressive passes |
4.43 |
3.93 |
|
Progressive carries |
0.56 |
0.67 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
1.16 |
0.89 |
|
Tackles |
1.58 |
1.48 |
|
Blocks |
1.54 |
1.00 |
|
Clearances |
4.43 |
3.82 |
|
Aerials won |
2.38 |
3.30 |
|
Stats by FBref |
||
Said to be similar players as per FBRef, it’s clear to see where the parallels lie but Guehi does actually come out on top in various different aspects of his game compared to the Frenchman, with more tackles and clearances registered over the last year on average, on top of being a competent passer out from the back.
Although it would be obviously disheartening to lose Van Dijk, Liverpool fans would certainly feel less aggrieved about their superstar defender departing if a statement move for Guehi materialised.
This move would cost Slot’s men a bumper amount, but it might well prove to be a worthwhile investment in further strengthening Liverpool’s defensive options ahead of a nervy title run-in.
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