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| Richard Hughes Sporting Director of Liverpool during the first Arne Slot press conference at AXA Training Centre on July 05, 2024 in Kirkby, England. | Liverpool FC via Getty Images |
Liverpool are unlikely to make any late moves in the transfer market with just a handful of days before the January window shuts.
The Reds were only likely to make a move for a player this month if they proved to be good value. One star the club did not opt to pursue was Marc Guehi, who has joined Manchester City from Crystal Palace.
The England international had just six months to run on his deal at Selhurst Park and City moved to snap him up for a deal worth between £20m to £26m. He has reportedly signed a contract worth £300,000 a week at the Etihad Stadium.
It is a move that stung for a large number of Liverpool fans after the Reds had agreed a £35m deal to sign him back on deadline day in the summer.
A medical was booked but Palace pulled out of the deal at the 11th hour with Guehi remaining in London. Liverpool were keen to sign Guehi at the end of the season as they did not feel a move for him this month represented good value.
It has seen a top-quality defender join a Premier League rival while Liverpool have suffered a number of injury concerns at centre-back. Joe Gomez was forced off against Bournemouth while Giovanni Leoni is out for the season.
One of the reasons Liverpool’s deal for Guehi fell through in the summer was because Brighton defender Igor Julio joined West Ham on loan after rejecting a move to the Eagles.
On deadline day, Julio was viewed as a replacement for Guehi but despite Palace exploring a loan move - he opted for a move to the London Stadium instead. The collapse of Guehi’s move to Anfield soon followed.
It makes the fresh news now coming out of West Ham even more difficult to take for Liverpool - and it is likely to leave Richard Hughes and the likes of Arne Slot intensely frustrated.
According to Football London, West Ham are ready to explore the possibility of terminating Julio’s loan early. He has played just four times for the Irons this season, totalling 103 minutes.
His decision to join West Ham over Palace saw the Reds miss out on Guehi, only for the defender to go on and not play a key role for the Hammers.
West Ham are said to be interested in loan deals for Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky and Chelsea defender Axel Disasi and need to free up space. Had Julio moved to Palace, there is the genuine possibility Guehi could be playing for Liverpool right now.
Instead, the Reds watched on as he went to Man City while his potential replacement could now be sent back to his parent club after opting against a Selhurst Park move.
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