£40m “monster” wants to join Liverpool over Arsenal

Though Liverpool have strengthened well in the summer transfer window, Arne Slot likely needs more parts if he’s to lead his side to glory once again next season.

The Anfield side won the Premier League last season after Jurgen Klopp stepped down from his iconic post. No one thought this relatively unknown coach from Feyenoord could carry the weight of a legend’s departure, but Slot has proved himself the perfect man to lead this club, championing the virtues that are rooted so deep in the Merseyside soil.

And he’s been rewarded in the transfer market. FSG have smashed Liverpool’s transfer record to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for an initial £100m figure, which could rise to a British-record £116m.

Slot also has a new full-back pairing to work with, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez both impressing during Liverpool’s emotional pre-season outing against Preston North End.

However, Liverpool’s head coach may well feel that there’s still something missing in his rearguard, with the Merseysiders’ interest in a new centre-back well documented.

The latest on Liverpool’s search for a defender

Back in May, Liverpool’s chiefs were working on a deal to sign Dean Huijsen, 20, after his spectacular breakout year with Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The problem was, most high-profile clubs across the continent wanted the Spain international, and that’s a list which included Real Madrid, who indeed won the race after activating his £50m release clause.

This in itself isn’t detrimental to the Liverpool cause, but now that Jarell Quansah has completed a £35m transfer to Bayer Leverkusen, it feels important that the Reds push ahead and sign a replacement.

Well, FSG have got one in mind all right.

According to reports relayed by The Mirror, Liverpool are preparing to launch a £40m bid for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, looking to take advantage of the player’s contract situation, entering the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park.

Guehi is understood to favour a move to Anfield over Arsenal and Newcastle, though he wants assurances over his playing time.

Given that the England international, 25, is willing to run his contract down if push comes to shove, this could prove to be a delicate situation, with Slot no doubt wary about entering the forthcoming campaign with limited options in defence.

Why Liverpool want Marc Guehi

Guehi is a robust and reliable defender who has built himself up over a number of years at Crystal Palace, joining from Chelsea in a £18m deal four years ago.

His rounded technical qualities and deceptive aggression suggest he would be perfect for this high-flying Liverpool side, and given his two-footedness and leadership skills, he might even be the man to succeed Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk is one of the greatest defenders of his generation, instrumental in building Klopp’s dynasty at Liverpool. To replace him would be a daunting thought for any positional peer, but Guehi has what it takes, having been hailed as a “monster in defence” by reporter Bobby Manzi.

Guehi has spent several years honing his skills in the Premier League, and now he’s ready to take the leap to the highest level. Van Dijk did something similar.

However, one could actually say that Guehi is more accomplished than the Liverpool skipper was during his Southampton days. After all, Guehi captained the Eagles to their incredible FA Cup triumph, defeating Manchester City in the May final at Wembley.

But looking at their respective performances across the past term in the Premier League, it’s clear that Guehi still has a level or two to scale before he can claim to be in the same ballpark as Van Dijk.

But, no doubt, the seeds are there, and two seasons alongside the legend could prove to sharpen his tools to the keenest edge, allowing him to become a superstar on Merseyside.

The Palace man is technically sound and creative besides. Moreover, he would emulate Van Dijk in arriving from a divisional rival lower down the ladder, with the Netherlands captain joining Klopp’s cause from Southampton way back in January 2018 for a £75m fee – a world record for a defender at the time.

Guehi’s ball-playing game, actually, is almost underrated, for he is not jsut assured but remarkable in his passing and movement, making things happen as he coolly collects and picks out forward-running teammates, be that with a swept pass or by dribbling upfield and playing a tidy layoff.

As per FBref, the one-time Chelsea prospect ranked among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for through balls, illustrating that Van Dijk-esque quality that would prove so useful for Slot.

But pedantry matters for a mind as analytical as Michael Edwards’. Guehi has been described as “one of those versatile centre-backs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by analyst Ben Mattinson, and his propensity for the left side only fuels the argument that he could be Slot’s new version of Van Dijk.

Van Dijk is irreplaceable, but in Guehi, Liverpool might just sign the closest thing to a successor possible. He’s dynamic, combative and commanding, embodying the qualities required of a superstar centre-half at Anfield.