Liverpool’s summer was a chaotic one, with headline signings such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike resulting in a spending spree of over £400m. Their first half of the 2025/26 season has been equally as wild, starting the campaign imperiously before collapsing dramatically, losing six in seven league games throughout October and November to plummet down the standings. Now, a run of four games unbeaten has the Reds looking back up the table, but online betting sites still don’t consider them title challengers just yet.
The popular Bovada site currently prices Arne Slot’s men as a distant 25/1 outsider, well behind current table toppers Arsenal, who have been installed as the 1/2 favourites. Such a huge gulf between the two heavyweight protagonists begs the question as to whether the one player Liverpool missed out on in the summer was more important than all of the players they signed: Marc Guehi.
Liverpool Still In For Guehi
The Crystal Palace captain was rumoured to be on the move to Anfield on transfer deadline day, with a deal seemingly wrapped up, only for the Eagles to pull the plug at the 11th hour as they were unable to find a suitable replacement. Now, as January approaches, the England international has just six months remaining on his contract, meaning that he is available to move on a free transfer in the summer of 2026.
Not only that, but Palace could also cash in on their captain in January, with the month’s transfer window representing the South London club’s final opportunity to recoup some form of transfer fee for their prized asset.
With Guehi’s contract set to expire on June 30th, 2026, several of Europe’s biggest names are all on high alert. Liverpool remains at the front of the queue, but which powerhouses are also on the hunt for the central defender’s signature? And, perhaps most importantly, could any of them actually snag Guehi from under the Reds’ nose? Let’s take a look.
Bayern Munich
Outside of perhaps Arsenal, Bayern Munich is currently Europe’s form team. Led by the blistering form of Harry Kane, the Bavarians have won all but three of their 24 games in all competitions so far this season. As a result, they are currently well clear at the summit of the Bundesliga, sitting nine points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig. In the Champions League, they find themselves second in the table, three points behind the aforementioned Gunners.
Bayern are packed with quality all over the pitch, but if there is one question mark hanging over them, it’s at central defense. New signing Jonathan Tah starts alongside French international Dayot Upamecano, but both have been prone to mistakes this season. Former Napoli Scudetto winner Kim Min-jae is currently the third choice, but he, too, has proven to be calamitous at times. As such, the pathway for the arrival of Guehi appears to be clear.
The Englishman would certainly clear up any question marks surrounding the Bavarian backline. Calamitous mistakes are one thing that Guehi’s game doesn’t have, and across the last four and a half years, he has proven to be as reliable a defender as there is in the Premier League.
At just 25 years of age and in the prime of his career, the Palace captain could be a stalwart of the Bayern backline for years to come. Add to that the connections he already has in Bavaria in the form of his national team captain Kane and former Palace teammate Michael Olise, and settling in at the Allianz Arena should be no problem at all. As such, the German giants are without question Liverpool’s biggest rivals in the hunt for Guehi’s signature.
Barcelona
Another team rumoured to be on the hunt for Guehi’s signature is reigning Spanish champions Barcelona. The Blaugrana are never far away from a blockbuster free transfer, signing the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Wojciech SzczÄ™sny, Iñigo MartÃnez, Franck Kessié, and Andreas Christensen in recent seasons. Now, Crystal Palace’s beloved captain could well be the next in line.
One of the most important tactics manager Hansi Flick has employed in Catalonia since his arrival 18 months ago has been a high defensive line, which has bordered on suicidal at points this season. The German manager likes his central defenders, usually teenager Pau Cubarsà and captain Ronaldo Araujo, to be on or close to the halfway line at all times, no matter where the opposition has the ball, thus squeezing the action and resulting in his side winning the ball back either through pressure or through catching their opponents offside.
The tactic worked a treat last season as Barcelona romped to a famous domestic treble, defeating arch rivals Real Madrid four times in the process. However, this season, the Blaugrana have been caught out time and again. With Guehi’s blistering pace across the ground, adding him to that high defensive line could be highly effective. And let’s face it, Barcelona are in dire need of some defensive steel.
18-year-old Cubarsà is the next great hope, but he requires some solidity next to him. Araujo has proven to be too unreliable, with injuries and disciplinary issues – see the recent red card against Chelsea – proving costly. Outside of those two, Christensen and Eric Garcia are the only other senior centre-backs, but neither of them is the world-class level that Gurhi has, and adding the Palace skipper would represent a huge step up in quality. That could result in Barca pulling out all the stops in a bid to bring him to the newly renovated Camp Nou.
