Liverpool have been advised to target Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi or Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni to address their defensive struggles, according to former Reds goalkeeper Brad Friedel. The comments come after a difficult run for Arne Slot's side, who have lost three consecutive matches by three-goal margins and sit 13th in the Premier League with a goal difference of -2.
Friedel, speaking to talkSPORT BET, identified Bastoni as his preferred option but urged Liverpool to pursue Guehi if possible. 'Bastoni would be my option. But if Liverpool can re-enter the race for Guehi, they absolutely should – he'd be perfect because he already knows the Premier League,' Friedel said. 'Buying from abroad always carries the risk that a player takes months to adapt, especially for centre-backs. Guehi is already proven in the league, which is why I'd pull out all the stops for him.'
Liverpool had agreed a £35m deal for Guehi over the summer, but the transfer was halted when Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish pulled the plug as the club struggled to find a replacement. The 25-year-old's contract expires in the summer, meaning Liverpool could secure him on a free transfer. Meanwhile, reports from Mundo Deportivo suggest Liverpool are preparing an £88m bid for Bastoni, though a January move is considered unlikely.
Slot acknowledged the defensive issues when asked about potential changes to his starting XI. 'Is the question should I change dramatically? If, for example, you want another system with five defenders, that could be an issue. I don't even have five defenders,' he said. 'It suits the players best, the system we are playing now. They have played this system probably throughout their whole career and there is hardly any training time for us. So it is almost impossible to change our complete idea about football if we play every two days.'
