Guehi analysis - why 'Uncle Marc' would be Liverpool's smartest buy

Virgil van Dijk's Liverpool lost to Marc Guehi's Crystal Palace in the Community Shield - but they would be a good fit as team-mates should the latter join the Reds

At about £40m, Liverpool target Marc Guehi appears to provide genuine answers for numerous tactical conundrums the Reds might face going into the 25-26 season.

Talks have taken place over the transfer of the Crystal Palace captain, with the England international likely to move to Merseyside.

Off the back of an incredibly impressive campaign, Arne Slot and his Premier League champions have opted to overhaul the squad by bringing in mainly offensive reinforcements, even in the form of the defenders signed, and their spending this summer is already close to £300m.

Guehi, as good as he is defensively, appears to follow that trend.

Here we analyse what he would bring to Liverpool, assessing how he might adapt from a counter-attacking side to a more possession-based team, and whether he can improve the Premier League champions.

Guehi's positional versatility

Guehi's average touches while playing for England show his tendency to play on the left and also how far up the pitch he pushes

What stands out immediately is Guehi's tactical versatility and his on-ball quality.

He is a player who has shown a proficiency for passing and dribbling off both feet and is a strong carrier of the ball, pushing past nearby attackers and establishing territory higher up the pitch.

His quality isn't limited to one area either.

Although he has primarily been deployed as a left centre-back in a back three for Crystal Palace by head coach Oliver Glasner, he often finds himself in the middle of the defence, particularly on the ball.

This versatility across the back line has been notable in his cameos for England too, with Guehi impressively showcasing his quality in a back four.

Given Virgil van Dijk's age, Gomez's injury record and the departure of Jarell Quansah, the introduction of a player of Guehi's quality who can play on both sides would be seen as a huge plus for Liverpool.

Now let's consider Crystal Palace's five-at-the-back, counter-attacking system to Liverpool's high-possession, four-at-the-back.

Glasner has cleverly set up his centre-backs in a way that allows them to get on the ball facing forwards under less pressure, which has given Guehi the time and space to showcase his on-ball quality.

Amid this, his passing quality has stood out in spite of the reduced possession.

For most ball-dominant teams, this time and space isn't always afforded to the centre-backs. Liverpool are an exception here and their use of Van Dijk and Wataru Endo in pre-season provides clues how Liverpool can use Guehi in a similarly effective manner.

Will we see Liverpool play with a back three this season?

On the left is the formation we've known Liverpool for in recent years. On the right is how they could often line up this season in possession.

In pre-season, a noticeable pattern arose in the form of Liverpool moving to a back three when they had the ball.

As seen in the 3-2 win against Athletic Bilbao and the Community Shield loss to Palace, Liverpool's back four clearly became a back three, with Jeremie Frimpong pushing up on the right flank in possession.

Milos Kerkez, one of Van Dijk or Endo, and Konate formed a back three tasked with progressing the ball.

The midfield in front of them was incredibly dynamic, with players like Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz dropping deep to pull apart the opposition's defensive shape, before being found by the back three.

The use of both Endo and Van Dijk in possession, despite starting at left centre-back, was in the middle of a back three, sitting deeper and dictating play. The increased distance between the opponents' attackers and Liverpool's left centre-back meant Van Dijk had more time and space to play a pass or to carry the ball up the field.

Could Guehi adapt to this?

Yes, by replicating the tactical conditions that made him a success at Palace. And in the Liverpool system, he would have more time and space to showcase his on-ball quality.

The central positioning would allow him to play at a variety of angles, utilising his two-footedness and impressive ability to switch play to either flank.

Guehi can help Liverpool win the ball back high up the pitch

Guehi made 61 tackles for Palace last season, often winning the ball back on the left, as well as higher up the pitch

When Liverpool lose the ball, they press high up the pitch collectively, aiming to win the ball back immediately.

In pre-season, defenders have found themselves in difficult individual duels around the halfway line.

With Guehi's strong physical base and willingness to step up the field to apply pressure, he is well equipped to follow Slot's out-of-possession instructions.

Although his aerial ability is not his biggest attribute, Guehi has duelled well on the ground towards the left side of the pitch. His ability to utilise his body and tackle with both feet after stepping up into the opposition half for Palace will be a much needed quality in covering for the attacking full-backs of Liverpool.

For Palace, Guehi has developed over the last few years as a strong last-ditch defender, having played for a side that doesn't dominate the ball.

When Liverpool need to see out games, Slot opted last season for Endo as an extra defender to tighten up. In a similar manner, the box-defending and assured nature of Guehi makes him a perfect player in those situations.

Guehi: Good signing or not?

With Quansah joining Bayer Leverkusen from Liverpool for £35m, spending a similar fee on an England international defender with top-level Premier League experience appears to be an astute market opportunity.

As a respected leader and captain for Palace, playfully referred to as "Uncle Marc" by his England team-mates because of his maturity and temperament, he fits into the culture Liverpool have fostered over this recent period of success.

The market opportunity paired with his tactical fit makes Guehi to Liverpool a transfer that may be looked back at as a genuine bargain in a bloated market.