Liverpool dealt huge blow as January move “unlikely” for top target

Liverpool have been in hot pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but fresh reports suggest they may have to wait even longer to secure the defender.

The Reds have endured a difficult season so far after spending heavily during their summer recruitment drive, which saw a major overhaul in the attacking third with Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz joining the fold.

The trio have shown moments of individual brilliance over the last few months, but only Ekitike has delivered consistent output during the first half of the campaign, which has been one of the many issues Liverpool have faced.

Despite the lack of goal contributions hindering performances for the reigning Premier League champions this season, it is the defence that has arguably suffered the most.

Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk remain the preferred centre-back partnership for Arne Slot, while new additions Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have provided depth in the full-back areas.

After taking a potential deal to sign Guehi down to the wire on Deadline Day in September, Liverpool were unable to complete the move after Palace pulled out at the last minute.

As a result, centre-back depth remains a major area of concern, particularly following the ACL injury sustained by Giovanni Leoni, and has been blamed for several of the shortcomings seen on the red side of Merseyside this season.

It has been widely reported that Liverpool would make another attempt to finally get a deal done for Guehi in the new year, however a fresh update has delivered a significant blow.

According to BBC Sport journalist Sami Mokbel, a move for the Palace skipper is now considered “unlikely” during the January transfer window.

Taking to social media platform X, Mokbel revealed the current stance:

“Interest intensifying in Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, but January move unlikely and plan to see out final six months of his contract remains.”

“My understanding, at the moment, is that he will probably be expected to stay at Palace until the end of the season when his contract expires.”

“He has got so many options in the summer, you’ve got clubs in Europe – Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan.”

“All of these clubs have registered varying degrees of interest in Marc Guehi in recent weeks, and then you come to the end of the season and you’ll have Liverpool back in the mix, Manchester City back in the mix.”

“He’s leaving, he’s going, but I expect that situation to continue into the summer, because he will have his pick of clubs.”

There is no doubt that Guehi has the potential to become a key component in Liverpool’s future success and would be a worthy long-term successor to club captain Virgil van Dijk.

However, with every passing month and transfer window, it becomes increasingly difficult for the Merseyside club to secure a deal for the Palace star, as competition will only intensify while he continues to showcase his consistency and elite-level ability throughout the season.

Liverpool are yet to agree a new contract with Konate beyond the expiration of his current deal in the summer, which only adds further pressure on the club to act decisively when addressing the future of their centre-back partnership.

The Reds may yet attempt a last-ditch push by offering Palace a financial incentive to part ways with their captain in January, rather than risk losing him for free at the end of the campaign.

However, the South London club are exceeding expectations under Oliver Glasner and Guehi plays a pivotal role in both their domestic and European ambitions, making a mid-season departure far from straightforward.

With that in mind, it will be intriguing to see whether Palace could be tempted by a January offer or whether they decide that Guehi’s importance over the final six months of the season is simply priceless in their pursuit of further success.

Rebekka Arnold is an experienced writer with a strong background in digital media, PR and football journalism.

Since 2021, Rebekka has written opinion pieces and match reaction content for Football Fancast, part of the Snack Media network, building on her growing presence in the football community through viral Twitter content and podcasting.

Now at Transfer Tavern, Rebekka brings her sharp eye for analysis and deep passion for the game to deliver engaging football opinion and breaking transfer news content.