Marc Guehi was never Liverpool's priority as transfer problems laid bare for FSG

The Reds had hoped to sign Guehi last summer, but at no point was his addition viewed as essential - yet the events that have since transpired, particularly surrounding injuries, have left the club in a difficult position this month

Liverpool prioritized a summer move for Giovanni Leoni last summer instead of Marc Guehi(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool’s decision not to sign Marc Guehi has caused ruptures among the club’s supporters.

There is a sense of exasperation that the Reds have allowed a player of such high calibre to slip through their grasp, particularly so when it's a rival that is set to snare Guehi. That feeling has been dialed up a notch, given the Crystal Palace captain was just hours away from being a Liverpool player last summer, and the club could have pushed ahead to secure his signing earlier in the window.

But in July, August and January, the Reds waited, biding their time and hoping no one would gazump them.

Considering Guehi had attracted interest from Europe’s elite clubs, perhaps that thought was always naive.

Guehi is not the first player Liverpool has missed out on due to FSG’s robust transfer processes. Those running the club will simply not pay what they consider to be over the odds for any player.

That’s particularly pertinent at present with Liverpool down to just six fit defenders. To many, Guehi felt like the perfect solution, an elite center-back who would add depth and perhaps provide the perfect long-term replacement for Ibrahima Konate.

Would it even have reinvigorated the team after such a woeful start to the campaign? Instead, it leaves Arne Slot with a dearth of options. Had Liverpool completed the signing of Guehi in September, it would have gone into the season with nine defenders; now it is operating with a third of those numbers.

Guehi is close to signing for Manchester City(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)

However, despite the frustration that has arisen since losing out on Guehi, it should be remembered that the imminent Manchester City signing was not Liverpool’s primary target last summer.

Giovanni Leoni was identified as a more long-term, cost-effective profile, and his signing was announced in mid-August. His subsequent long-term knee injury is sheer misfortune.

While the Reds moved swiftly to conclude expensive deals for Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike, Guehi was never seen as an essential signing.

Indeed, he does not fit the criteria Liverpool typically looks for at the heart of defense. Normally, the Reds prioritize those aged 21 and younger.

Longevity is key. Joe Gomez is currently in his 11th season at Liverpool; it has been eight years since Virgil van Dijk signed from Southampton, while Konate will reach a half-decade at Anfield by the end of the campaign.

Arne Slot has a lack of defensive options at present(Image: Getty Images)

Guehi was seen as a unique market opportunity, an England international who was available at a relatively low price given his expiring contract.

While supporters may scoff at the decision not to match City’s exorbitant offer, there is also the dilemma of how Slot would have lined up had Guehi arrived this month. Van Dijk and Konate are the Reds’ established center-back pairing; unless Slot pivoted to a back three, where exactly does Guehi fit in?

That may matter little to disgruntled supporters, though. For some, this is another example of how FSG’s stringent recruitment model will always make it difficult for Liverpool to compete with the Premier League’s elite.

Should the Reds sustain any more injuries at the back in the coming months, that sense will only be heightened.