While it won’t come as much consolation to Liverpool fans, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has offered another explanation as to why Marc Guehi’s deadline day transfer collapsed.
Marc Guehi failed transfer explanation
Guehi came very close to joining Liverpool in the summer, even completing a medical in London before Crystal Palace pulled the plug at the last minute.
This left their captain frustrated and Liverpool short in defensive areas, though, in fairness, they weren’t to know Giovanni Leoni would suffer a season-ending injury at that point.
Rumours of manager Oliver Glasner threatening to resign if Guehi was sold have since been dismissed by the coach, and the Palace chairman has now explained the decision to keep their centre-half.
Parish told talkSPORT: “I decided in the end that, based on the advice that I got and with what I think, that we would have a better season if we kept Marc.
“We don’t guess about these things. If you look at it rationally, if you look at what it’s worth, the place in the Premier League, the fact that we’re in the Conference League for the first time in our history, this is a fairly unusual set of circumstances in which to keep a player.
“If we were fighting between the difference of 10th and 14th, if that was going to be the difference between keeping Marc and letting Marc go, then probably we would have said, ‘Right, we should take the money.’”
A January move for Guehi, who would have cost Liverpool £35 million in the summer, was initially played down by reporters, but we shall have to see if the Reds’ stance remains unchanged after Leoni was ruled out until next season.
Today’s Liverpool FC News
• As a precaution, Ryan Gravenberch was withdrawn at half time for the Netherlands on Sunday due to “minor hamstring problems,” coach Ronald Koeman said – fingers crossed he came off in time to avoid a real issue
• It has been revealed Wataru Endo‘s withdrawal from international duty was due to a hamstring injury – manager Moriyasu Hajime thought it “would be a burden” for Endo to travel to Asia again
• Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has confirmed Alexander Isak will start vs. Kosovo on Monday night – this is his third game in the space of 10 days
More from This Is Anfield
Our resident tactics man, Harry McMullen, has taken an in-depth look at Liverpool’s setup, focussing particularly on Mo Salah and the Reds’ defeat at Chelsea:
“Rather than relying on lazy analysis of work rate or boxing metaphors, Slot is watching the game and adjusting appropriately.
“He has a habit of finding a Plan B that solves the weaknesses of his Plan A.
“But for his side to regain their control from last season, it might be time to design a new Plan A: one that allows his team to start games on the front foot and stay there – though, as ever, there are no guarantees of success.”
READ: Mohamed Salah hasn’t changed – but Arne Slot may need a new Plan A
Elsewhere in the football world today
• Arsenal‘s Martin Odegaard latest knee injury is expected to keep him out until after the November international break (BBC Sport)
• Jack Wilshere has been announced as the new Luton manager – a tough first job given Luton have suffered back-to-back relegations
• Jordan Pickford is set to sign a new four-year contract at Everton (Times) – a good goalkeeper but Evertonians go a bit overboard on him, don’t they?
Liverpool FC: On this day
On this day in 1894, Liverpool played Everton in their first-ever senior competitive meeting.
October 13 saw Liverpool lose 3-0 to their neighbours at Goodison Park, as Tom McInnes went down in history as the first derby goalscorer, with the other goals netted by Alex Latta and John Bell.
This was Liverpool’s ninth game in the first division, having been promoted from the second division after finishing top the season before.
Of those first nine matches, Liverpool won zero, but that thankfully changed in the 10th fixture as manager William Edward Barclay’s side beat Stoke 2-0 at Anfield.
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