Arne Slot must go all in for Marc Guehi after his Man of the Match display for England

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Marc Guehi must be Arne Slot’s number one priority at Liverpool when the winter transfer window opens on 1 January.

The England international appeared set to complete a deadline day move to Anfield until Oliver Glasner convinced Steve Parish to pull the plug on the deal in the final stages.

Although a £35 million agreement was struck between the clubs, Crystal Palace failed to find a suitable replacement and therefore had little option but to deny Guehi his exit.

Slot did, of course, sign young centre-back Giovanni Leoni this summer, but the Italian will miss the rest of the season after sustaining an ACL injury on his maiden bow in the Carabao Cup.

Guehi would also help deliver the final blow in Palace’s 2-1 win against Liverpool; he assisted Eddie Nketiah’s 95th-minute match-winner on the day.

He is in the form of his life for club and country, and the Reds cannot afford to risk potentially losing out on his signature when he is expected to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Marc Guehi stuns in England win against Wales

The 25-year-old provided the assists for Aston Villa duo Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins during the 3-0 win against Wales on Thursday evening.

Guehi now has four goal contributions in his last two outings for the national side and is now surely Thomas Tuchel’s number one choice at centre-back.

As previously revealed by TBR Football, Liverpool are expected to bid for Guehi in January. However, considering his contract at Selhurst Park expires in 2026, it will be difficult to agree on a fee that will prompt Palace into selling.

Slot admitted he regrets not signing Guehi. With the Reds having only three senior options at centre-back, there is no sense in waiting until the end of the season when a deal could be struck sooner.

Liverpool have conceded nine goals in seven Premier League matches this season, a stark contrast to the two goals conceded at this stage last season. The defensive frailties have been laid bare and exploited by the opposition.

Furthermore, Ibrahima Konate’s “poor” form has become a serious problem for the Reds, with summer signings Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong also performing far below the required standard.

Guehi could be transformational for Liverpool, and his potential arrival in January could very well be the difference between more silverware and another failed Premier League title defence.

How did Marc Guehi fare against Wales?

The defender was head and shoulders above the rest as the best player on the pitch for England at Wembley and pulled all the strings from the backline.

Guehi completed the most passes on the pitch, only misplacing one out of his 92 attempts, which is an astonishing feat for the player.

One of the main reasons he was content with remaining at Palace was to put himself in the best possible position of being named in the World Cup squad this summer.

Based on his recent international performances, it is now highly unlikely that, should Guehi move to Anfield in January and have reduced minutes, his place in the squad will be under any significant threat.