Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United saw the Reds suffer a fourth consective defeat for the first time in more than a decade, as the champions continue to struggle following their £450m summer spending spree.
The likes of £116m playmaker Florian Wirtz and £125m striker Alexander Isak are yet to settle in at Anfield, while the 11 goals they have conceded so far in their eight Premier League games is a dramatic increase in the three they had shipped in at this point last season.
Arne Slot’s side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, four points off pace setters Arsenal, and while logic suggests their new arrivals have too much quality to continue to struggle for long following this bedding-in period, the failure to land one potential summer signing that got away has been heightened.
Marc Guehi's transfer status confirmed, following botched Liverpool move
Crystal Palace’s excellent start to the new campaign has been one of the big early-season narratives and key to this has been the form of England defender Marc Guehi - who was on the brink of joining Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
The 25-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, had passed a medical before a proposed £35m move to Anfield, only for the deal to fall through at the 11th hour, when Palace were unable to secure a replacement in Brighton defender Igor Julio.
Eagles boss Oliver Glasner has kept Guehi in his side, with the centre-back playing all 13 of the team’s matches this season, but as the player’s contract continues to tick down, the issue of his future has remained a key talking point, with the club eager to keep him.
Glasner has now addressed Guehi’s future, admitting that the 26-time England international insists he will not sign a new contract with the club, opening the door to either a free transfer in the summer or a January exit that would see Palace sell him for what would be a reduced fee.
"They offered Marc a new contract, but he said, 'No, I want to make something different', and that's normal," Glasner said, as per the BBC.
"It's how we can deal with this situation. (What) is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."
This comes after The i Paper reported last week that Guehi was attacting attention from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the January transfer window.
In FourFourTwo’s view, the situation around Guehi - who is valued at €50million by Transfermarkt - will be a fascinating January subplot.
With a World Cup on the horizon the player himself will benefit from the continuity that marshalling Palace’s defence will bring, while the club will be keen avoid losing him for nothing.
Should Liverpool fail to rediscover title-contending form in the coming weeks, their interest will surely grow, but will the player himself fancy joining a European heavyweight? We’re not heard the last of this transfer saga.
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