Liverpool may soon have to replace three of its most important players. The trio of , and are all in the final year of their contracts, meaning they can leave for free next summer and start negotiating with teams outside England as soon as January.
Getting in talent to replace three such iconic footballers will not be an easy task, nor a cheap one in all likelihood. Both individually and collectively, the three men have delivered some of the best moments in the recent history of the Reds.
They have all arguably been the best player in their position in the world in recent years too. Replacing van Dijk, the lynchpin of the defense, might be the most important of the three thanks to his influence over a whole section of the team. Head coach will get an opportunity to scout one potential option when travels to Selhurst Park on Saturday lunchtime to face : Marc Guehi.
The Eagles have made a slow start to 2024/25, having lost star attacker Michael Olise to Bayern Munich. Palace is winless, in the relegation zone, and trailing two of the three newly promoted sides, none of which is a good look as we approach the second international break of the campaign.
Despite these struggles, the Eagles’ defense has been fairly resolute. Oliver Glasner’s side has conceded nine goals in the opening six matches of the season, only one more than Manchester United and two above Chelsea’s tally.
The Palace boss deploys his troops in a 3-4-3 formation, though he has shuffled his pack – only three teams have made more starting line up changes in the – in a search for solutions to their winless run. One of the ever presents, in the center of the back three, is reported Liverpool target Guehi.
The England international was wanted by Newcastle this summer but no deal was completed, with Palace allegedly hoping to secure $92m (£70m/€84m) for the 24-year-old. One advantage Liverpool may hold is that according to , the player would prefer to play for the Reds rather than the Magpies.
But is Guehi right for Liverpool? A talented defender he might be, but there are a few potential flaws which could prove problematic. A career Premier League aerial duel win percentage of 55.7 does not hold a candle to van Dijk’s 75.8 (since 2017/18), for instance.
But that’s for the analysts and scouts at the club to determine. Slot will be able to see whether or not he rates the potential new center-back on Saturday.
