Liverpool are now believed to be “confident” of completing the signing of an England international next summer, in what would be a “huge coup” for them.
Slot's explains decision to replace Kerkez
The Reds secured a priceless late 1-0 win away to Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, eventually grinding down their opponents thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty deep into stoppage time.
Numerous Liverpool players struggled to hit top form, not least Milos Kerkez, who was replaced before half-time, but Arne Slot has discussed his decision to bring on Andy Robertson in place of him.
“Not only the yellow card but also that afterwards he played the ball, no foul at all, but the referee blew his whistle, which can always happen because this happens in football. But the reaction of the fans and I also saw players of them also trying to go to the referee [saying], ‘If you think this is a foul, maybe you should give a yellow for it.’
“Which would have been ridiculous of course, but then it is a risk. The only way we could lose this game is if we are down to 10 because with 11 v 11 we could have drawn it, but we could never have lost it because they have never been… in our 18-yard box. So, then the only way you can lose it is if we go down to 10 and I didn’t want to take that risk, which was hard for Milos because normally you don’t have to take a player off if he has a yellow before, but I felt this was the best choice to make.”
Away from the on-pitch action for Liverpool, a significant new transfer claim has emerged, as the Reds continue to eye new signings.
Liverpool "confident" of signing England ace
Speaking to Football Insider, journalist Pete O’Rourke said that Liverpool remain “confident” of signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi next summer, having failed to snap him up on deadline day.
“If Guehi does run down his contract and become a free agent, it could be an open race for him. It will depend on who offers him the best deal, and Liverpool right now are still confident that they can land Guehi if he explores his options as a free agent.
“It does seem Liverpool will wait until next summer to try and push through a deal for Guehi having come so close to signing him in the summer before the deal fell through.
“There are clubs across Europe looking at Guehi because the chance to sign a proven Premier League player and England international on a free would be a huge coup. It’s an open race as things stand, but Liverpool have done some of the hard work already, and they hope that will give them the edge to get a deal over the line.”
Missing out on Guehi was such a big blow for Liverpool, leaving them short of depth at centre-back, but he should still be considered their priority defensive signing heading into 2026.
The Palace and England ace is such an impressive figure, both on and off the pitch, and he possesses the quality on the ball, calm out of possession and leadership to be a fantastic addition for the Reds, completing 93.6% of his passes for the Three Lions in World Cup qualifying.
Hopefully, the “sensational” Guehi still sees Liverpool as his preferred choice when next summer rolls around, ignoring potential interest from some other huge clubs in the process.