Liverpool ‘priority’ transfer surely a done deal as reason for FSG deciding to scrap £35m signing clear
With Liverpool reportedly deciding to scrap one £35m signing, FSG’s ‘priority’ deal surely must be as good as done heading into the winter transfer window.
Liverpool‘s £400m+ squad overhaul in the summer has aged poorly as the level of the club’s results and performances have fallen off a cliff in a crisis.
There were signs of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz finally finding their feet against West Ham, but Hugo Ekitike has otherwise been their only signing to make a positive impact this season consistently.
This, combined with too many changes being made in a single window, the wrong profile of signings and positions being prioritised, and Arne Slot‘s poor decisions, contributed to Liverpool’s sudden downfall, so they could look to the market for a quick fix in January.
Despite spending so much money in the summer, Liverpool did not address the most glaring priority: their failed pursuit of Marc Guehi left them short at centre-back.
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Liverpool were punished for messing with Crystal Palace for most of the window as an agreed £35m deal for Guehi, which was not struck until deadline day, collapsed over Oliver Glasner’s side having insufficient time to secure a replacement.
This meant Liverpool’s supposed sensational window ended on a sour note, and the ongoing slumps endured by Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and their defence as a whole have added to their problems.
Therefore, it has been widely reported that the Reds could re-enter the market for Guehi or another centre-back in January, and this really needs to happen if they are to salvage something from this season.
However, a move for Guehi in January or next summer has not appeared simple; the deadline day collapse and his contract expiring next summer have opened the door for Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich to challenge Liverpool for his signature.
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So, it is hardly surprising that the Reds have been linked with several alternative targets, with Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck appearing to be near the top of their list.
The 26-year-old, who occupies a similar role to Guehi on the left side of a defence, is reported to be available for around £35m in January and this would be a bargain given his ability.
This is why German outlet SportBILD‘s indication that the Reds have decided to scrap a deal for Schlotterbeck, who is ‘not their top priority’, is pretty intriguing.
The outlet does not explain why Liverpool have settled on this stance, but we can surmise that this means they are quite confident that Guehi will join them at some point next year.
Schlotterbeck is about as good an alternative to Guehi as a potential long-term replacement for Van Dijk as Liverpool could hope for, but they do not need him if they are actually signing their true ‘priority’ target.
Guehi had one foot in Liverpool in the summer, so it would be surprising at this point if he looks past a move he had his heart set on and whether he joins in January or at the end of the season, it will be a great much-needed signing for Slot’s struggling side.
