Liverpool to urgently activate huge January deal as Slot reacts to devastating injury blow – sources

Liverpool are now more likely than ever to bring forward their plan to sign Marc Guehi in the January transfer window after Fabrizio Romano confirmed the crushing, lengthy injury loss of young centre-half Giovanni Leoni.

The Reds invested £26m (€30m, $35m) to sign the talented young centre-half from Parma over the summer, after spotting his enormous potential while in Italy. At just 18 years of age, Leoni was seen as a player largely for the future at Liverpool, but also as someone who could help in the present when called upon.

However, having made his debut on Tuesday night against Southampton in the Carabao Cup, the teenager’s night ended in agony as he went down in agony before being stretchered off with what initially looked like a heavy knock.

Sadly, though, for the player and for manager Arne Slot, it has now been confirmed that the strapping 6ft 5in star has suffered an ACL tear and now faces months of rehabilitation, potentially ruling him out of action for the entire season.

Confirming the blow, journalist Fabrizio Romano posted on X: “Liverpool centre back Giovanni Leoni has torn his ACL and will be out for several months.

“After an excellent debut in the League Cup last night, with Arne Slot also very happy, an unlucky injury for Leoni, who will try to be back before the end of the season.”

The loss of the teenager now means Slot has just three senior options available to play as a centre-back, with Joe Gomez now the only back-up to the first-choice pairing of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.

And given Gomez is no stranger himself to the treatment room, Liverpool are now one injury away from lacking any sort of cover in the centre of their defence.

As a result, TEAMtalk understands that, having already strongly considered signing summer target Guehi in the January window anyway, that plan will now be seen as an urgent need for the winter window…

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Sources – Liverpool ready to activate Marc Guehi transfer plan

Having missed out on a £35m deal for Guehi on transfer deadline day, a number of journalists insisted Liverpool would now wait until the summer window to try and land the Crystal Palace defender as a free agent.

However, our transfer insider Fraser Fletcher has been insisting for the past fortnight that is not necessarily the case, and his information is that the Reds were very much open to sign Guehi for a knockdown fee in January if their situation allowed.

Writing earlier this month, Fletcher explained: ‘Sources have told TEAMtalk that suggestions that Liverpool will wait until Guehi’s contract expires in the summer of 2026, making him a free agent, may be misguided, as transfer chess pieces are already in motion.

‘La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are said to be eyeing Guehi for a January move, adding urgency to Liverpool’s quest to secure the services of the former Chelsea centre-back. However, these reports are to be read with caution.

‘Palace, aware of the risk of losing their captain for nothing next summer, face mounting pressure to cash in during the January transfer window.

‘Clubs often leverage media narratives to spark bidding wars or inflate fees, and Palace’s posturing could be a tactic to extract maximum value.

‘However, Liverpool, known for their shrewd transfer dealings, hold a trump card: Guehi’s desire to join them.

‘Liverpool’s strategy could hinge on a calculated lowball offer in January. By presenting a modest bid, they might tempt Palace to accept less than their desired valuation rather than lose Guehi for free months later.

‘Additionally, Liverpool could reach an agreement in principle with Guehi in January for a summer move, thereby securing his services without a transfer fee.

‘This dual approach – a low offer or an agreement in principle for the summer – puts the Reds in a commanding position.’

Now, after the serious injury to Leoni, the Reds appear near-certain to activate that plan for the winter window.

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It’s not just Guehi that Slot hopes to sign in 2026, with a report naming the mouthwatering triple deal the Reds hope to secure in 2026, with an ‘unflappable’ Premier League star top of their wishlist.

On the subject of Reds defenders, Konate has given Liverpool his response amid claims the defending Premier League champions have submitted a whopping pay-rise in an effort to dissuade him from making a free transfer move to Real Madrid next summer.

Meanwhile, claims made by Southampton boss Will Still suggests the shirt-waving antics that led to Hugo Ekitike’s red card for Liverpool on Tuesday evening may have been part of a badly thought-through pre-match promise to the Saints manager.

And finally, Alexis Mac Allister has revealed what Lionel Messi really thinks about Liverpool amid laughable suggestions the legendary star could take up an Anfield coaching role when he retires.

VOTE: If Liverpool sign Guehi, who should their starting centre-back partnership be next season?