He could be captain after Van Dijk: £35m star very keen on joining Liverpool
da esoccer bet: Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been at his best for Liverpool this season, but he’s still Virgil van Dijk.
da dobrowin: This is one of the best defenders of his generation, and though he turned 34 in June, the Netherlands and Anfield skipper renewed his £350k-per-week contract at Liverpool until 2027, and more stable defensive foundations would bring the Dutchman back to his usual imperious level.
A mini-revival in recent weeks has eased the pressure on Arne Slot’s shoulders, but there’s no question that the Reds need to sign a centre-back.
Liverpool's plans to sign a centre-back
FSG thought they had completed the perfect summer transfer window, but FSG thought wrong. So many things haven’t gone to plan for Liverpool this season, and the failure to sign an elite centre-half is chief among them.
Sporting director Richard Hughes did, in fairness, fork out £27m to bring Giovanni Leoni to Anfield. But the talented Italian, only 18, ruptured his ACL against Southampton on his debut, and we will not see him back on the grass for some time yet.
With Van Dijk getting on a bit and Ibrahima Konate having plummeted to the nadir of his career form, so many error-strewn and unconvincing performances, the Merseysiders surely need to sign a defender, with depth proving a massive issue for Slot.
According to TEAMtalk, that man might yet be Marc Guehi, who came within a whisker of joining Liverpool last summer, a deal falling through at the eleventh hour on deadline day.
Despite that, the central defender is still ‘hopeful’ of living out his childhood dream of playing for Liverpool, according to the report. He is said to be ‘very keen’ on a move to Anfield.
The England international has been immense this season, as he was last year, and while he is set to leave Selhurst Park on a free transfer at the end of the season, chairman Steve Parish would allow him to leave for a not-so-small fee of £35m in January.
Why Guehi could usurp Van Dijk as Liverpool captain
In short, stability and dynamism in defence, two areas in which the Reds have been decidedly lacking this season. Guehi is not only a “monster in defence”, as he has been described by Crystal Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi, but an intelligent, calculated player, instrumental in the build-up.
In the Premier League this season, there have been few better. Guehi has played 14 of the Eagles’ 15 fixtures, missing out once due to injury, and he has captained Oliver Glasner’s squad on each of those occasions.
Could we be looking at the man who will take the armband from Liverpool’s titanic captain? For sure, Guehi has what it takes to steal Konate’s starting berth from him, so far removed from the Frenchman’s abject performances.
Premier League 25/26 – Guehi vs Konate
Stats (* per game)
Guehi
Konate
Matches (starts)
14 (14)
15 (15)
Goals + assists
2 + 2
0 + 0
Clean sheets
6
2
Touches*
65.4
74.3
Accurate passes*
44.9 (86%)
54.7 (90%)
Chances created*
0.6
0.3
Recoveries*
4.0
2.7
Tackles + interceptions*
3.0
2.1
Clearances*
5.1
6.1
Duels (won)*
5.9 (67%)
6.3 (66%)
Errors
1
4
Data via Sofascore
Guehi rarely makes a mistake. He is calm and composed, and composure and calmness have been in short supply across Liverpool’s backline this season.
Moreover, he would help fix Liverpool’s struggles in the build-up. Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid was always going to force a rewiring of passing patterns, and Konate has been left exposed.
Guehi, however, ranks among the top 8% of Premier League defenders this season for progressive passes, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 10% for tackles won per 90, as well as the top 8% for aerial duel success rate.
This is a complete defender at the top of their game, and with his prime years still in front of him, such an inspiring leader must be brought over to Anfield. Second time lucky? Liverpool could certainly do with a centre-back who has what it takes to grab the baton from Van Dijk.
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