3 Guehi alternatives for Liverpool with Man City option and Bundesliga wild card

Three Liverpool transfer options have been assessed as Marc Guehi turns his attention towards a joining Real Madrid in 2026 over finally completing a switch to Anfield from Crystal Palace

The price of Liverpool's failure to sign Marc Guehi on transfer deadline day could be costly. Through no fault of their own, really, a deal collapsed at the 11th hour after both the Reds and Crystal Palace were willing to do business.

A £35m agreement was put in place hours before the deadline. Importantly Guehi himself agreed to the move, and even undertook the formalities of a medical and media duties in London. The central defender was ready to write his signature on the dotted line, only for his current employers to block proceedings late on.

It left Liverpool without the final signing they wanted at the end of a busy summer and also in an incredibly precarious position. Other than his obvious quality, the huge draw to Guehi is the fact he will become a free agent when his Palace contract expires in 2026.

Rivals will be aware of this too, and foreign clubs hold the advantage as they are able to negotiate pre-contract agreements six months sooner than Premier League sides.

The Mirror reported that despite the 25-year-old's hunger to join the English champions, he is prepared to make a U-turn and 'has his heart set' on a free transfer to Spanish giants Real Madrid instead.

Remembering Ibrahima Konate's contract is also up at the end of the season for Liverpool, they have been backed into a corner in their search for defensive stability. They've been linked with Barcelona's Ronald Araujo and Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven, though would not be able to sign either without paying over the odds.

With that said, Mirror Football analyses three Guehi alternatives who, as things stand, will fit the free agent criteria.

Signing John Stones when his Manchester City contract expires next summer would provide Arne Slot with a vastly-experienced option in defence. He is a six-time Premier League winner, a one-time Champions League winner, and an England stalwart.

It would be a move that has shades of James Milner's arrival to Anfield in 2015 - the midfielder went on to serve Liverpool for several more years after City discarded of him. Though admittedly it is a deal that would only work under specific conditions.

At 31, Stones isn't getting any younger and is already part of a faltering City defence. Konate's contract needs renewing so that he can stay a part of the club, before this new option arrives as cover.

There is also his old allegiances to Everton to navigate - very rarely does a player represent both clubs in his career.

Eric Garcia is another proven title winner - one Premier League with City, two La Liga's with Barcelona, and an Olympic Games gold medal - but falls closer to the age group Liverpool were looking into with Guehi.

He will have turned 25 by the time his contract with La Blaugrana comes to an end in 2026. But it may be that this opportunity does not come to pass for Liverpool as Garcia has already confirmed there are to be renewal talks with his existing club.

"Everything will be discussed soon," he told Jijantes in an interview earlier in September. "We've started talking about a renewal.

"Captain? Who knows, maybe I could be a candidate for captaincy in the future."

Somewhat of a wildcard option to end, as Slot could look towards the Bundesliga again and find a hidden gem - Diogo Leite.

The 26-year-old was a product of FC Porto's academy and moved to Union Berlin in 2022, helping the club to secure Champions League qualification in his first season. His progression has continued to the point where he is one of the German league's most-trusted central defenders.

From a Liverpool perspective, their analysts may be intrigued to find that Leite is rated fourth-highest amongst central defenders who compare directly to Guehi.

Per 90 minutes, the Portuguese averages 2.26 tackles to Guehi's 2.00, whilst both averaging close to 60 touches of the ball per game. Liverpool could sign him for free next summer at the current rate.

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