£35m star very eager on becoming a member of Liverpool

Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been at his greatest for Liverpool this season, however he is nonetheless Virgil van Dijk.

This is among the greatest defenders of his technology, and although he turned 34 in June, the Netherlands and Anfield skipper renewed his £350k-per-week contract at Liverpool till 2027, and extra steady defensive foundations would deliver the Dutchman again to his ordinary imperious degree.

A mini-revival in current weeks has eased the strain on Arne Slot’s shoulders, however there is not any query that the Reds have to signal a centre-back.

Liverpool’s plans to signal a centre-back

FSG thought they’d accomplished the right summer time switch window, however FSG thought improper. So many issues have not gone to plan for Liverpool this season, and the failure to signal an elite centre-half is chief amongst them.

Sporting director Richard Hughes did, in equity, fork out £27m to deliver Giovanni Leoni to Anfield. However the gifted Italian, solely 18, ruptured his ACL in opposition to Southampton on his debut, and we is not going to see him again on the grass for a while but.

With Van Dijk getting on a bit and Ibrahima Konate having plummeted to the nadir of his profession kind, so many error-strewn and unconvincing performances, the Merseysiders absolutely have to signal a defender, with depth proving an enormous problem for Slot.

In accordance with TEAMtalk, that man may but be Marc Guehi, who got here inside a whisker of becoming a member of Liverpool final summer time, a deal falling by on the eleventh hour on deadline day.

Regardless of that, the central defender continues to be ‘hopeful’ of dwelling out his childhood dream of taking part in for Liverpool, in accordance with the report. He’s stated to be ‘very eager’ on a transfer to Anfield.

The England worldwide has been immense this season, as he was final 12 months, and whereas he’s set to depart Selhurst Park on a free switch on the finish of the season, chairman Steve Parish would enable him to depart for a not-so-small price of £35m in January.

Why Guehi might usurp Van Dijk as Liverpool captain

In brief, stability and dynamism in defence, two areas through which the Reds have been decidedly missing this season. Guehi isn’t solely a “monster in defence”, as he has been described by Crystal Palace correspondent Bobby Manzi, however an clever, calculated participant, instrumental within the build-up.

Within the Premier League this season, there have been few higher. Guehi has performed 14 of the Eagles’ 15 fixtures, lacking out as soon as as a result of harm, and he has captained Oliver Glasner’s squad on every of these events.

Might we be trying on the man who will take the armband from Liverpool’s titanic captain? For certain, Guehi has what it takes to steal Konate’s beginning berth from him, up to now faraway from the Frenchman’s abject performances.

Guehi not often makes a mistake. He’s calm and composed, and composure and tranquility have been briefly provide throughout Liverpool’s backline this season.

Furthermore, he would assist repair Liverpool’s struggles within the build-up. Shedding Trent Alexander-Arnold to Actual Madrid was all the time going to pressure a rewiring of passing patterns, and Konate has been left uncovered.

Guehi, nonetheless, ranks among the many prime 8% of Premier League defenders this season for progressive passes, the highest 6% for shot-creating actions and the highest 10% for tackles received per 90, in addition to the highest 8% for aerial duel success charge.

This can be a full defender on the prime of their recreation, and along with his prime years nonetheless in entrance of him, such an inspiring chief should be introduced over to Anfield. Second time fortunate? Liverpool might actually do with a centre-back who has what it takes to seize the baton from Van Dijk.

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