Every January, Liverpool fans end up doing the same mental gymnastics: we spot the obvious squad need, we see the links, then we try to work out whether it’s actually doable or just wishful thinking. With Marc Guehi, it feels exactly like that.

Because even if you park the noise from “in the know” accounts and just talk like normal humans, the basic question still stands: why would a player who’s playing well, settled, and staring down a World Cup summer choose to uproot himself halfway through a season?

January is a different market for players

From Liverpool’s side, you can see the appeal. If you think you need a defender, you want him in the building yesterday. You want the option to rotate, to protect legs, and to stop one dodgy moment turning into a run of dropped points. Simple.

But for the player, January can be awkward. You’re walking into a new dressing room, new coaching, new expectations, and the pace of it all in the Premier League doesn’t allow much bedding-in time. Centre-back especially. It’s not like being a winger where you can just do your thing and grow into it. It’s communication, spacing, timing, trust. That stuff usually needs weeks, not a couple of training sessions.

Would Liverpool be able to sell him the role?

This is where your point lands. If Guehi moved now, would he be guaranteed to start? Liverpool don’t really do “guarantees”, and they shouldn’t. But it matters. If he’s joining without a pre-season, he’ll have to learn habits quickly: how Liverpool want to defend space, when to hold a line, when to be aggressive, how the full-backs and midfield protect transitions.

And if he’s looking at the bigger picture, a World Cup summer makes it even more delicate. Players want rhythm. They want a clean run of games. A January move can either be the best decision you ever make or it can be six weeks of chaos that leaves you chasing form at the worst possible time.

The summer could simply suit him better

The other reality is leverage. In the summer, players often have more choice and more comfort. Pre-season, full integration, and, yes, potentially better wages or a better overall package. If a player believes he’ll have options, waiting can be the sensible play.

For Liverpool, that’s the frustration. We can talk ourselves into “surely it happens now”, but January is usually about need meeting opportunity. If Palace don’t want to sell mid-season, or if Guehi doesn’t want the disruption, it doesn’t matter how much we want a new centre-back.

So is it realistic? It’s not impossible, but it’s also not one of those moves you can just assume happens because it makes sense on a forum. Truth is, this one looks like it could be as much about timing as talent.

Written by Kaffesnus: 16 December 2025

Tags: efl tactics