Liverpool line-up makes ‘crazy’ £40m move to sign Guehy replacement

As Arsenal and Manchester City prepare to battle for gold once again, Liverpool have endured winter woes after a frightening run of autumn form to pull themselves firmly out of Premier League title contention.

Manager Arne Slott will be unhappy with his side’s lack of inclusion after topping the table comfortably last season, but the severity of Liverpool’s decline will shift his focus to just treading water and avoiding the axe. That’s because many people are growing frustrated with the Dutchman’s rule after experiencing too many defeats and too dismal performances.

Liverpool head into 2026 in a better position, fourth in the league table, but they also have a chance to create some space between themselves and fifth-placed Chelsea, who drew at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday night and are two points behind.

Defensively, there is still a lot of room for improvement, with Liverpool suffering injuries to either Virgil van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate. Ahead of the January transfer window.

Liverpool ready to sign centre-back

Liverpool came close to signing Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi in the summer transfer window, but with Real Madrid increasing their interest, they may face a tougher task convincing him on a free transfer next summer.

Indeed, there are a number of elite candidates lining up to sign the England international, and with Liverpool currently in need of a new central defender, it is perhaps understandable that a replacement would be named.

According to Football Insider’s Mick Brown, that list includes Brighton star Jan Paul van Hecke, with the Dutchman having performed well on the south coast in recent years.

Van Hecke is embroiled in a contractual dispute with his employers and, given he is in the penultimate year of his contract, could pounce at any time if FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are given encouragement.

Tottenham Hotspur also have a vested interest in the 25-year-old, who is valued at around £40 million.

Why Van Hecke is perfect for Liverpool

Brighton signed Van Hecke from NAC Breda in 2020 and after a series of fundamental loan spells, he settled into the Seagulls’ Premier League set-up, scoring four goals and providing two assists in 88 appearances in the top flight.

While he certainly still has room for improvement, van Hecke is tactically similar to Guehi, ranking in the top 3% of his position for progressive passes, in the top 1% for progressive carries, and in the top 19% for ball recoveries per 90, according to data-driven site FBref.

Additionally, he has scored three goals in 18 league games this season.

With an outstanding technical skillset and the ability to impress across attacking and defensive metrics, Van Hecke could even emulate his compatriot Van Dijk at Liverpool.

Van Dijk is 34 years old and Liverpool will need to sign a long-term replacement sooner rather than later. With a wealth of Premier League experience and the potential for further development in the coming years, Van Hecke could be the perfect addition to take up the position in the future, having first learned from Van Dijk’s technical achievements.

After all, Van Hecke is also a great defender, with Sofascore recording that he won a whopping 67% of his ground battles in the Premier League this season.

Liverpool have been turned over from set-pieces so many times this season that it’s clear they need fresh quality to fend off the biggest threat to the overall stability of their backline.

Is he a finished article? While that’s certainly not the case, Van Hecke has been hailed as a “positively crazy” defender by former striker Pierre van Hooydonk, and his style has incredible energy and athleticism, making him a good fit for a club like Liverpool.

While he certainly has Guehi-like qualities, Van Hecke could actually become Liverpool’s best defender since Van Dijk by moving to Merseyside.

The Dutchman not only shares citizenship with Liverpool’s all-inspiring captain; He’s good on the ball, incredible in the air and is the epitome of a Premier League centre-back aiming for the top.

With Liverpool also poaching him from the south coast, Van Hecke may have just what it takes to become a new version of the Dutch legend in the Anfield side.