Five players Liverpool could target in January after huge Marc Guehi transfer update

When Marc Guehi's summer deadline-day move to Liverpool from Crystal Palace fell through, the England international ought to have felt disappointed, but not devastated.

The only question on fans' lips was whether the England international would make the switch in January - for a reduced fee - or in the summer - as a free agent - and if reliable reports are to be believed, that query has now been answered.

Indeed, it has been claimed that Liverpool will not pursue Guehi's signature in the winter and are instead expected to make their next approach when he leaves the Eagles on a free in the summer, although other clubs could also come calling for his services when the season is over.

As Liverpool had the money to fork out another £35m for Guehi in the summer, the Reds will also have at least that amount to play with in January, where they could either sign an alternative to the Englishman, his future defensive partner, or even prioritise a different position altogether.

Here, Sports Mole looks at five players Liverpool could sign in January instead of Guehi.

Michael Olise

Liverpool and Mohamed Salah will remain intertwined for a full 10 years if the Egyptian sees out his contract, but there is an acceptance that the Reds will soon have to start planning for life without their legendary wing wizard at the club.

In recent days, it has been suggested that Liverpool view Bayern Munich's Michael Olise as the ideal long-term successor to Salah, who is without a genuine prodigy at Anfield right now; Rio Ngumoha is excelling on the left, and the injury-plagued Federico Chiesa surely cannot fill the African's boots.

However, 23-year-old Olise is going from strength to strength in a Bayern shirt, having produced an astounding 12 goals and 18 assists in his debut Bundesliga season, as well as striking four goals already in 2024-25.

Liverpool can expect to be met with incredibly stiff resistance if they try to make their move for Olise in January, though, so this is surely one to be revisited in the summer barring a shock development.

Jan Paul van Hecke

Back to the defensive theme, GIVEMESPORT reports that Brighton & Hove Albion's Jan Paul van Hecke has been earmarked as a potential Guehi alternative by Anfield chiefs, who may seek to capitalise on his contract situation.

While Olise's deal at Bayern runs until 2029, Van Hecke is now in the final two years of his deal with the Seagulls, potentially putting the South Coast club under pressure to make a sale in 2026 should he decide not to renew.

Never underestimate Brighton's negotiating power, though, and the Seagulls are sure to drive a hard bargain - potentially in the region of £45m - for a player who made 33 Premier League starts during the 2024-25 campaign.

However, Virgil van Dijk could put a good word in for the champions while on Netherlands duty with Van Hecke, who may very well inherit his compatriot's place in the Reds XI one day.

Angelo Stiller

Liverpool ended the summer transfer window without bolstering their midfield ranks, but the availability and form of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai means that Arne Slot has few concerns at this moment in time.

However, Wataru Endo is not a long-term option, and the embryonic Stefan Bajcetic has struggled to stay injury-free in recent times, so another new face in that area of the pitch would not go amiss.

That new face could very well be reported target Angelo Stiller of Stuttgart; the 24-year-old may have sent tongues wagging among the Kop in a recent interview with Bild - via iMiaSanMia - where he expressed a desire to move abroad one day and labelled Florian Wirtz's switch to Merseyside "cool".

Stiller's eight assists in the 2024-25 Bundesliga season were hardly a surprise given that he has averaged 9.72 progressive passes per game over the past 365 days, putting him in the top 2% of midfielders in the big five European leagues, according to FBref.

Nathan Collins

Also rumoured to have been on Liverpool's radar during the most recent transfer window, Nathan Collins instead stayed put at Brentford, where he is sharing a dressing room with compatriot and ex-Red Caoimhin Kelleher.

The 24-year-old helped the Bees to a hard-earned clean sheet against Aston Villa on August 23, but Keith Andrews's side have suffered losses to Sunderland and Nottingham Forest either side of that 1-0 victory amid fears of a demotion dogfight.

If Brentford find themselves in a precarious position in the Premier League table, they could simultaneously find themselves in a precarious situation with Collins's future too, as Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have purportedly taken a liking to the centre-back.

However, with a contract at the Gtech Community Stadium until 2029 and a guaranteed place in the Bees' starting XI, Collins to Liverpool in January is undoubtedly a transfer of the unlikely variety.

Malick Fofana

Lyon's provisional relegation to Ligue 2 last year triggered the inevitable wave of noteworthy exits, as Rayan Cherki, Thiago Almada and Georges Mikautadze all bid farewell to the seven-time Ligue 1 champions, whose demotion was eventually reversed.

Among all the chaos, Malick Fofana was a constant shining light for Les Gones; only turning 20 in March, the Belgium international produced five goals and four assists in the 2024-25 top flight, as well as a striking six efforts in the Europa League.

Fofana has already registered a goal and assist in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign too, and Liverpool's interest in the diminutive attacker - who stands at 1.69m tall - has been confirmed the player himself.

Fofana recently told HBVL that Liverpool and Chelsea touched base over a summer move, but while he currently feels that Lyon is the best place for his development, the Reds will not lose sight of him if he continues on an upward trajectory over the coming months.