On Guehi, Palace aren’t being ‘unrealistic’

There’s a slightly awkward truth in the noise around Marc Guehi: some of the frustration aimed at Crystal Palace is basically the same logic we’ve defended when it suited Liverpool.

The line goes that Palace should be “realistic”, take something like £20m in January, because otherwise they risk losing him for nothing later. That’s a perfectly normal fan argument, especially when you’re watching your own side cry out for defensive depth. But it’s also one of those arguments that sounds a lot nicer when it’s about someone else’s player.

When it’s our lad, we call it standing firm

If you’re annoyed at Palace for digging their heels in, it’s worth rewinding to how Liverpool fans tend to talk when it’s our club in the same situation. We’ve seen it plenty: a big club circles, offers a fee that feels deliberately low, and the selling club doesn’t bite. The response is usually: good. Keep him. Don’t be bullied. If they want him, pay proper money.

And that’s the point here. Palace aren’t obliged to make our lives easier just because our need is urgent. If they think Guehi is worth more to them staying put than any January offer, they’re entitled to hold that line. That’s football. It’s negotiation, leverage, timing, and who blinks first.

Liverpool’s need is real, though

All that said, the other side of this is hard to argue with: Liverpool do look like they need a defender. Not as a luxury, not as a “nice to have”, but as proper insurance for the shape and the rhythm of the side.

When you’re playing high, asking your defenders to defend big spaces, and relying on clean transitions to keep control, one missing piece can knock the whole flow off. Defensive quality isn’t just about last-ditch blocks. It’s about positioning, timing, calming moments down, and allowing the team to keep its tempo without living on the edge.

Pay within reason, or move quickly

So the sensible fan view, for me, lands somewhere in the middle. If Guehi is the first choice and Liverpool genuinely believe he fits what Arne Slot wants, then there’s a case for paying what Palace want within reason and getting it done early. Not because Palace “deserve” it, but because delay has a cost as well.

And if Liverpool’s maximum offer isn’t enough, fine. Walk away and go another direction. What you can’t really afford is a long, messy saga that drags to the end of January just to save a few quid, only to end up short anyway. In the position Liverpool are in, that’s a risk that feels completely unnecessary.

Written by Jimjam782: 17 December 2025