‘World class’ talent wants to join Liverpool

Liverpool have a remarkable aversion to confidently defending Premier League titles. This season and in 2021/22, the Reds have found themselves in a tricky situation after reaching the top, and Arne Slot must find the answers quickly.

In all honesty, the endless rut ​​the club found itself in this season appears to have eased. Liverpool have gone four matches without defeat, although it would simply be incorrect to suggest they are back to their best.

With Mohamed Salah’s uncertain future in the background, FSG are ready to bolster the struggling champions with a winter signing or two.

But perhaps it is at the back, not attack, that Liverpool need to prioritize.

Liverpool ready to sign a central defender

Ibrahima Konaté is out of contract at the end of the season and no resolution is still in sight. Real Madrid have ended their interest in the French centre-back, however, such has been the severity of his dismal season.

The errors multiplied by dozens. Add to that Konate’s weakness in the build-up, exposed by the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, and you will see that Liverpool desperately need a new elite partner to help the aging Virgil van Dijk.

Last summer, Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was the chosen man, and now sporting director Richard Hughes is set to return for him.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool remain in pole position for the Three Lions star, with FSG confident a deal can be done, given personal terms have already been agreed and the player is said to still consider Anfield as his preferred destination.

However, Bayern Munich are putting pressure on, and so if the Reds want to avoid any doubt before Guehi’s contract expires at the end of the season, they need to offer around £20m to bring him in next month.

However, Liverpool’s defensive crisis suggests it might not be the worst idea in the world.

Why Liverpool must sign Guehi in January

Guehi, 25, is one of the best central defenders in Europe. More than four years after leaving Chelsea and joining Crystal Palace, he has established himself as “a veritable Rolls Royce of a defender” who is “world class”, as academy coach David Matthews put it.

The England star is just coming into his own, rising to widely recognized elite status. Liverpool must ensure they secure his services before anyone else does, especially as it could revive Van Dijk.

There is no denying that the Dutch captain has been mediocre this season, lacking his typical authority and imperiousness in defense.

But Liverpool’s dysfunctional system has fostered inconsistency, and Guehi could prove that Konate’s upgrade was necessary to rekindle Van Dijk’s flame.

The Eagles star’s ball game is more expansive and dynamic than Konate’s, and alongside Van Dijk, 34, he would help create a greater variety of passing patterns than Liverpool fans have been treated to this year.

Looking at how Guehi compares to Konate in the Premier League this season, you can see that the Englishman has more quality on the ball while also proving more combative and mobile in protecting his back line. Palace, remember, have conceded just 12 league goals this season, a tally bettered only by Arsenal.

Forget all the technical flourishes for a second; Guehi is simply much more composed with the ball than his blue counterpart, who has made so many mistakes this season.

Add to that his progressiveness and intelligence in forward passing, Guehi could be the ideal partner for the veteran skipper, who is still one of the best centre-backs in the business but is getting on a bit and might need a stable partner who complements his strengths and adds synergy to the wider tactical system.

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