Liverpool ‘step up talks’ for vital January target to rescue their campaign

December 3, 2025 Oliver Obel

Liverpool’s attempts to steady their season have pushed the club back toward a familiar target. With the January window edging closer, the Reds are again exploring a move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, according to TEAMtalk, reviving negotiations that fell apart in the final days of the summer.

It’s not hard to see why Liverpool have circled back. The champions opened the 2025/26 campaign with real momentum, but the optimism didn’t survive the early autumn. Multiple outlets, including TEAMtalk, have noted that the club have dropped nine of their past 13 matches—a slide that has amplified scrutiny around Arne Slot’s squad depth, particularly at the back.

A heavy emotional backdrop

Liverpool’s season began under difficult circumstances. The sudden deaths of Diogo Jota and his brother in a car accident in Spain left the squad reeling, a tragedy that understandably shaped the mood heading into the new campaign. Even so, the team started strongly before the downturn brought defensive fragility into sharper focus.

The club had already spent heavily following Slot’s title-winning debut season, adding Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong in a summer outlay surpassing £400 million. The investment didn’t fully address Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities, an issue that has become harder to ignore as their form has dipped.

Why Guehi is back on Liverpool’s list

Guehi’s name never drifted far from discussions at Anfield. As TEAMtalk previously reported, Liverpool had agreed a fee in the region of £35 million in August before Palace halted the move when they failed to secure a replacement. That decision forced Liverpool to reassess their defensive plans, but it didn’t end their interest.

Now the situation has shifted again. Guehi is in the final months of his contract and is eligible to negotiate a pre-contract with clubs outside England. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have all been linked to the 25-year-old, and Liverpool know the window to act is narrowing. TEAMtalk reports that the club is weighing a new bid between £25 million and £30 million.

Guehi’s appeal is clear. He has been one of Palace’s most reliable performers—calm on the ball, vocal in organizing the line, and confident stepping into midfield when needed. Those are exactly the qualities Liverpool have lacked during the roughest stretch of their season.

Slot’s reflections on the near-miss

Slot has already acknowledged how close Liverpool came to securing Guehi in the summer. Speaking in September, he said:

“It would be ridiculous if I were to deny we were close to signing him. That is so out in the open. These things happen in football. We would have liked to have signed him, of course. If we feel we can strengthen the team, we never hesitate to do so.”

He added that it was “a pity, not only for us but also for the player,” though he noted that Guehi remained “in a good place” at Palace, where he has collected silverware under a manager Slot praised as “very good.”

Slot’s remarks now read with fresh relevance as Liverpool weigh whether to return for a defender they believe can still be part of the club’s long-term core.

What’s next?

Whether renewed negotiations will produce a January signing remains uncertain, but Liverpool’s interest signals a shift from curiosity to necessity. The club cannot afford their defensive issues to persist much longer—not in a season where the margin for error is already shrinking.

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Sources: TEAMtalk.