Perfect for Van Dijk: Liverpool could see bid accepted for "England's best"
Arne Slot has spoken to the media ahead of Liverpool’s curtain-raising Community Shield clash against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, and he has confirmed that he cannot rule out further summer signings.
The Anfield side won the Premier League at a canter last season, but who can claim that they have since rested on their laurels? Liverpool are intent on defending their throne and widening the scope of the Slot era, with further prizes certainly eyed.
Alexander Isak’s name has stolen the headlines for some time now, and understandably so. But there’s little question that the prow of the ship isn’t the only area in need of investment before the end of the transfer window.
Namely, Liverpool need a central defender, having shown their hand on that front way back in May, when they pushed to sign Bournemouth prodigy Dean Huijsen before the 20-year-old joined Real Madrid once his £50m release clause was activated.
Why Liverpool want a centre-back
Last month, Jarell Quansah was sold to Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £35m. The English talent is highly regarded, but it didn’t quite work out under Slot’s wing last season, and cashing in (with a buyback clause inserted) was probably a prudent move.
Having said that, Joe Gomez has since sustained a minor Achilles injury; the blow won’t sideline the 28-year-old for an extended period, but it does highlight the fragility of Virgil van Dijk’s defensive line.
Van Dijk extended his Liverpool contract by two years before the end of last season, but the captain has now turned 34, and the inevitability of an athletic decline will begin to take a seat in Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes’ mind.
Then there’s Ibrahima Konate, who marks a pressure point himself. The France defender is into the final year of his £70k-per-week contract at Anfield, and with Real Madrid lurking, there is a growing sense of dread that he will follow Trent Alexander-Arnold’s footsteps and join the European nemeses on a Bosman.
In any case, Liverpool need to sign a centre-back this month.
Liverpool lining up new defender
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have learned that a bid in the region of £40m should be enough to convince Crystal Palace to sell Marc Guehi this summer.
Liverpool believe Guehi would be a fantastic addition to a backline looking rather thin, but since the 25-year-old has entered the final year of his contract, Hughes is unwilling to pay over the odds.
However, with Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur both interested too, the Reds might want to bite the bullet and lodge a first formal offer, lest Guehi end up elsewhere.
Why Liverpool want Marc Guehi
Guehi has been a pillar of strength and solidity for Crystal Palace over the past four years, joining the club from Chelsea for an £18m fee after graduating from their famed academy, though failing to get his foot through the first-team door.
He’s a “monster in defence”, as has been noted by Eagles reporter Bobby Manzi, but Guehi is also a fiercely underrated technician, with the passing game to make a real difference for Liverpool over the coming years.
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 9% of centre-halves across Europe’s top five leagues last term for goal contributions, the top 12% for shot-creating actions, the top 2% for through balls, and the top 20% for successful take-ons per 90.
His completeness even suggests that he would be the perfect partner for Van Dijk over the next few years, bringing energy and mobility to the backline, and a forward-thinking approach besides.
Matches (starts)
34 (34)
37 (37)
31 (30)
Goals
3
3
1
Assists
2
1
2
Clean sheets
11
14
11
Touches*
64.9
90.4
71.6
Pass completion
84%
92%
90%
Key passes*
0.5
0.3
0.3
Ball recoveries*
4.3
3.1
3.2
Dribbles*
0.4
0.1
0.1
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
2.5
1.7
Clearances*
4.6
5.1
4.0
Duels (won)*
4.9 (59%)
4.7 (69%)
4.4 (66%)
Errors made
2
4
3
As you can see from the table, Guehi hardly looks out of place when his data is ranked alongside Van Dijk and Konate’s efforts last season, and that’s having starred for Crystal Palace, instead of title-winning Liverpool.
Curiously, the Three Lions star made fewer mistakes than both of his world-class positional peers, something that Slot and Liverpool’s data analysts have no doubt picked up.
It’s hardly surprising that journalist and scout Ben Mattinson had hailed Guehi as “England’s best player” following their EURO 2024 campaign, so commanding in defence and cultured on the ball.
Though Van Dijk is more precise in the duel (Konate is too), Guehi has the kind of multi-faceted defensive skill set that is so important for top-challenging teams in the modern age.
He captained Oliver Glasner’s side toward the FA Cup title last season, beating Manchester City in the final at Wembley, did he not?
By adding this profile to the mix, Slot would rest assured that Van Dijk has the perfect partner to continue plying his craft so superlatively, leading the team and organising, timing crunching challenges and steely headers when the situation demands it.
In an ideal world, Konate renews his contract and Liverpool attack the upcoming campaign with three of the Premier League’s finest centre-backs in their ranks.
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