Guehi display highlights Liverpool’s exposed centre-back planning

The Bournemouth match showed how quickly our margins disappear when one more defender drops.

Joe Gomez going off early forced Wataru Endo into an emergency centre-back role, and that is never Plan A for a side trying to stabilise a season.

Konate’s absence for personal reasons and Leoni’s long-term injury left us relying on a very small group, and the lack of a ready-made option has been costly.

Sky Sports highlighted the contrast directly, noting that by the end “Wataru Endo was his partner” alongside Virgil van Dijk, after a day where individual errors again proved decisive.

That is why Guehi felt like more than just a good signing.

He felt like insurance, and a long-term fit, at a moment when we are trying to protect Van Dijk’s workload and manage Konate’s contract situation.

Liverpool defensive depth needs future-proofing

Sky Sports made a football point that matters for squad-building, saying: “Guehi’s preference for playing on the left would have made him a natural long-term replacement for Van Dijk.”

That is the heart of the argument.

Guehi is 25, Premier League-proven, and entering what should be his peak years.

Even Pep Guardiola’s comments carried that message, calling him “a guy you can rely on.”

For us, the frustration is not just that Palace pulled the plug on the summer move.

It is that we then allowed a January window to pass with a known need still hanging over the squad, and a direct rival acting decisively.

Marc Guehi 2025/26 Premier League snapshot (via SofaScore)

With Guehi since confirming how close he was to a move to Anfield and making subtle digs at the Reds, this all makes for painful viewing.