Liverpool consider late bid for £75m Van Dijk successor

Liverpool won at Anfield, but this time, there was no fusillade of fist pumps showered toward the Kop End, no larger-than-life German zapping around and infecting everyone with his energy.

Arne Slot is a cooler customer, businesslike, unflappable. A charismatic and disarming character at times, yes, but also a level head with his sights set on calmly tinkering away at his talented squad, inherited fromJurgen Klopp, and bringing it into contention at the top of the Premier League .

There’s of course the return of the Champions League to look forward to too – the revamped group stage draw is on Thursday – which surely means that a new signing should be brought in to allow the Reds to fight across all fronts, with central defence a priority in this regard.

Liverpool hold talks over centre-back signing

According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi is on a shortlist of options at Liverpool for the week ahead, with Richard Hughes and co not ruling out signing a centre-back.

Sepp van den Berg has been sold to Brentford for £25m while Joe Gomez is assessing his options in the market, and Guehi has the perfect skill set to succeed under Slot’s leadership.

Internal talks have been held and Liverpool must now consider whether they wish to fork out the £75m fee that Palace demand. With Newcastle United having lodged four offers already this summer, FSG better act quickly at this late stage of the window.

Why Marc Guehi would start for Liverpool

Crystal Palace signed the defender in an £18m deal three years ago, bringing him in from Chelsea. He has since made 113 appearances and risen to a position as one of England’s foremost centre-backs.

Hailed for his “monster ” defending by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, Guehi certainly has what it takes to succeed at a high-flying outfit such as Liverpool, potentially even surpassing expectations and becoming a leading member throughout an illustrious period under Slot’s leadership.

Guehi has still only featured five times under Oliver Glasner due to injuries throughout the second half of last season, but he still managed to showcase his technique and ball-playing skills under Roy Hodgson.

Palace haven’t started the 2024/25 term with the same aplomb that they finished last year with but the style of football is identifiable and Guehi has been a linchpin, averaging 78.5 touches per game so far, completing 88% of his passes and winning a whopping 75% of his duels (six per game).

Such defensive steel, mixed with an impressive and varied passing game, suggests that he would be perfect for Slot’s system and that he might even be the perfect man to succeed Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk – who is out of contract at the end of the season…

The perfect Van Dijk successor

Slot’s brand of football carries some slick and stylish – some would say liquid – elements, but two matches in, an extra layer of composure is discernible from what Klopp brought to the table.

Ipswich Town and Brentford have been defeated to start the season off with six points, and while neither display was perfect, Liverpool have yet to concede, leading the way in xGA, which is basically the expected goals conceded from the shots faced, two matchweeks in.

Of course, it’s very early in the day, and tougher tests lie ahead, but Liverpool’s xGA of 0.89, in simple terms, means that they have stood firm and limited their opponents to half-hearted chances. Having faced 15 shots over the two affairs, xG rules that Liverpool have been less than probable to concede a single goal .

Alisson plays a big part in that, of course, but none bigger than Van Dijk, who has been as imperious as ever across his opening fixtures, protecting his goal against the Bees to keep his 48th clean sheet in 100 Premier League matches at Anfield, losing only twice.

The 33-year-old is one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, and he’s carried his long-standing power into the fresh campaign, notably completing 95% of his passes and winning 65% of his duels thus far, as per Sofascore .

He who is tasked with succeeding the Netherlands and Liverpool captain will face a tough task indeed, though Guehi has the properties to ensure the Reds’ defensive strength might continue long into Slot’s future at the helm.

One of England’s standout performers at Euro 2024, Guehi has been described as “one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably” by analyst Ben Mattinson , adding further depth to the argument that he could replace Van Dijk, who has long dominated from the left side of Liverpool’s backline.

The Reds titan issued a cryptic response by Sky Sports pundits when discussing Liverpool’s victory over Brentford on Sunday evening, refusing to reveal his or the club’s stance on his contract situation, but fans would rest a lot easier knowing that a plan, in one form or another, is in place.

Van Dijk has been described as “the best defender in the world ” by Klopp in the past and it’s true that he will pass the test of time when football’s finest centre-backs are raised for debate.

But he’s 34 at the end of the campaign, and may well opt against extending his £220k-per-week contract . Guehi would be a brilliant successor, and FSG must make their move before he falls into rival clutches.