It seems more likely than not that Marc Guehi will be on the move in 2026, but the two burning questions are when exactly that’ll happen and which club will sign him.
Liverpool had agreed a £35m deal for the Crystal Palace captain at the end of the summer transfer window, only for the move to collapse after the Selhurst Park hierarchy blocked a deadline-day exit as they didn’t have time to recruit a replacement.
The Reds continue to be strongly linked with the 25-year-old, but some of their domestic rivals have now ented the frame to sign him (The Athletic).
Romano issues Marc Guehi transfer update
In an update on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester City could be set to pounce on any hesitation from Liverpool in the race to sign Guehi, amid reports from talkSPORT that the Reds aren’t planning to move for the defender this month.
The Italian transfer guru said: “I can tell you, the real intention of the player has always been to move in the summer on a free transfer.
“Liverpool are really pushing. Arsenal are calling because Arteta is a big fan. With these two clubs insisting, Bayern also having some meetings for Guehi, but Upamecano is expected to sign a new contract.
“Then Manchester City have been clear; they will try, they want to make an important proposal, and they want to go strong for Marc Guehi in this January window, so Man City will try also next week.
“If the player accepts, Manchester City are prepared to make an agreement with Crystal Palace. They don’t see any problems with that, but it’s on the player, and his plan has always been to move in the summer on a free.”
Liverpool simply MUST move for Guehi this month
If Man City’s reported intentions to move for Guehi this month doesn’t jolt the Liverpool into immediate action, that’d be a damning indictment of those making the decisions at Anfield.
In last summer’s transfer window, the Reds gambled on waiting until the final days before making an offer for the Palace captain. Had they gone even a week or two earlier, the Eagles might well have given it the green light as they would’ve had time to bring in a replacement.
Some might argue that LFC should hold their nerve and wait until the end of the season so that they can snap up the 25-year-old on a free once his contract expires, but will they have that luxury? What if Man City are more proactive and get a deal done in January?
With Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni sidelined with long-term injuries, Liverpool’s defensive options are rather stretched, and they can’t afford to lose any of their regular starters if they’re to maintain their current position inside the top four.
Acting now and paying £30m-£35m for Guehi would be far preferable to trying to cheap out and waiting to get him for free in the summer, only for Man City to swoop first and the Reds to miss out on the £100m+ which comes with qualifying for the Champions League.
The Anfield hierarchy don’t tend to do panic, but even they must feel compelled to move quickly in order to avoid embarrassment over the Palace captain.
You can watch Slot’s full post-Barnsley press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: