Time was when segments of the Liverpool fanbase routinely criticised FSG for their frugal nature in the transfer market. But those times are gone.
Who can argue against FSG’s diligence in the window, with Liverpool having won the Premier League last season after spending very little? Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp, and the rest is history.
But Slot doesn’t want his legacy to be recalled as a flash in the pan. Instead, the Dutch coach is hoping to sustain a period of trophy-filled success at Anfield.
And so in spite of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to sever his Liverpool connection and join Real Madrid, Liverpool are stronger yet, having added Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to their wide ranks.
But what about the right-back’s creativity and ingenuity? Well, Florian Wirtz will see to that, the German playmaker, who arrived with Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, signing for a British-record £116m fee and bringing all his world-class technical qualities to the English game.
And there’s more still to come.
The latest Liverpool transfer news
The headline: Liverpool are set to announce the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, who has chosen the Reds despite pressing interest from Manchester United and Newcastle United.
However, sporting director Richard Hughes is also contending with an outgoing or two, with Darwin Nunez, having failed to kick on, expected to leave and Luis Diaz the subject of a rejected £58.5m bid from Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions are primed to return.
The likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Magpie winger Anthony Gordon have been touted as potential replacements. Diaz, aged 28, is entering the final two years of his contract, and he may be better off sold if a new deal is not in the pipeline.
Replacing Diaz with either of those names would be exciting, but Liverpool might be looking forward to an even more interesting deal, with Slot hoping to add to his central defence before the summer’s out.
Liverpool leading race for Premier League star
Liverpool need a centre-back this summer. It’s a well-known fact. And according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the Anfield side are leading the race to sign one of the Premier League’s finest in Marc Guehi.
The caveat to that is Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to rival Liverpool for the Crystal Palace star, acting on their long-standing appreciation.
Valued at £45m given that he has entered the final year of his contract, the 25-year-old Guehi could prove an invaluable part of Slot’s side for many years to come, and it’s hard to argue that signing him now wouldn’t be money well spent.
What Marc Guehi would bring to Liverpool
Liverpool tried and failed to sign Dean Huijsen at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but the prodigious defender, 20, instead left Bournemouth for Real Madrid.
Los Blancos’ pull is strong, and they are used to having it their way. Rodrygo will only depart this summer because it is their bidding, and after signing Trent, Xabi Alonso’s side are looking to raid Liverpool once again to sign Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract in one year.
For Konate to leave in the prime of his career would be a bitter blow, but one that Liverpool could rebound from swiftly were Guehi already to have been signed. Indeed, the England international would be a terrific addition to Slot’s squad regardless of the 26-year-old’s future.
Guehi, actually, is the real deal, hardened by the failure to make it work at Chelsea and sharpened to a keen point across a number of years at Selhurst Park, the last of which have allowed his passing game to graduate to a higher level, inching him toward a completeness befitting Slot’s ambitious Liverpool project.
Guehi’s combative and composed nature resides next to an aptitude on the ball. It all comes together in a cohesive way, a way which indeed would be perfect for Liverpool. He’s a “monster in defence”, as says reporter Bobby Manzi, after all.
But consistency is the art of a successful defender in the Premier League, and Guehi has proved himself across four years with Palace, joining from Chelsea for £18m in 2021, since making and winning the FA Cup in May.
All this, proven in the Premier League and so complete in his style, suggests that the Three Lions star could be an even better signing than someone like Rodrygo, should the Madrid man replace Diaz in the coming weeks.
Matches (starts)
25 (23)
34 (34)
Goals
0
3
Assists
1
2
Touches*
61.6
64.9
Pass completion
87%
84%
Key passes*
0.3
0.5
Ball recoveries*
4.8
4.3
Dribbles*
0.3
0.4
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
2.6
Clearances*
3.5
4.6
Duels (won)*
3.6 (60%)
4.9 (59%)
Having maintained an imperious level across the past few seasons, there’s every reason that Guehi could prove a fantastic signing for Liverpool; more, a necessary signing.
Rodrygo would be nice, but for all the Brazilian’s sequined frills, he left plenty to be desired last season, going 13 La Liga matches without a goal or an assist before the close of the campaign.
That’s not to say the versatile winger wouldn’t mark an incredible piece of business from Liverpool and another statement of intent, but for the reported price of £87m, it would exhaust a significant amount of the club’s remaining resources this summer.
Given that Guehi, conversely, would be arriving for a cut-price figure and given the need for a centre-back to complement Virgil van Dijk and the rest, he might be the one to prioritise at this stage.
Tottenham lodged a £70m bid in January, and it was rejected. This shows how highly Guehi is viewed by the Eagles, who now face a tough decision given he might walk on a free in just one year.
Described as an “absolute gem” by Michael Beale, who coached Guehi during his Chelsea days, Liverpool have got to get this one wrapped quickly. If they don’t, one of their rivals will.
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ByAngus Sinclair Jul 22, 2025