- Gerrard unhappy with transfer decisions
- Questions Liverpool decision-makers
- Praises Manchester City stars
Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard has questioned two transfer decisions made by his former club in the January window, saying that they missed out on the best options.
The Reds have a tight transfer plan and they stick to it unless something extraordinary happens in the market. Meanwhile, the other top clubs push for players that their managers ask for, and that has resulted in several trophies getting rerouted on their way to Anfield.
Steven Gerrard believes something similar has happened once again, as the Merseyside club failed to react in the January window. He claimed that the club had the opportunity to seal two crucial transfers but failed to act.
Gerrard questions decisions by Liverpool hierarchy
Gerrard spoke to the media this week, claiming that Liverpool missed the chance to bolster the squad after failing to sign Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi. He said that both players improve the squad and give Arne Slot’s side enough options to push for silverware this season.
He added that the two Manchester City players should have been playing for the Reds and said:
“They should be playing for Liverpool, so that hurts even more. We were linked with two of those players, and that would have made a big difference to Liverpool. But I’ve said it before on record. Two top, top players. And for the price that they got them in as well. One on a free.”
“One was, you know, £60 million. In today’s market, they’re two bargains. They’re two bargains. Quality players, experienced, ready to go into the prime years of their career. International-level players. And what they’ve done is they’ve just helped kick City on at the right time.”
Guehi was signed for £20 million in the January window after he refused to sign a new deal at Crystal Palace. Semenyo had a £60 million release clause, and Manchester City activated that.
Marc Guehi almost joined Liverpool
Liverpool had a deal in place with Crystal Palace for Guehi last summer, only for the Eagles to pull the plug on deadline day. The London club could not find a replacement and thus opted against selling the club captain.
Slot confirmed the Reds interest in the Englishman earlier this season and said:
“A lot happened on the final day. I am most pleased that we got the deal for Alexander Isak over the line. Everyone at the club worked so hard to get it done. It would be a bit ridiculous to deny that we were close to signing Guehi. That is so out in the open. But these things happen. It probably happened to our players where they were close to signing for other clubs, and then things change in the last moment.”
“We would have liked to sign him, of course. If we feel we can strengthen the team, we never hesitate to do so, and that is what we tried to do. It is a pity for us and the player but he is in a good place at Palace, where he won the FA Cup and Community Shield. Let’s see what the future brings for him and us.”
Semenyo would have also been a top signing for Slot’s squad as he has been searching for a winger this season. Coda Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have not managed to hit the levels needed this season, while Rio Ngumoha is still on a learning curve.
Ultimately, Steven Gerrard’s frustration underscores a long-standing tension between Liverpool’s disciplined “Moneyball” recruitment strategy and the aggressive, high-stakes spending favored by their direct rivals.
While the club’s refusal to overpay or panic-buy has historically protected its financial health, the missed opportunities of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo feel like a departure from the clinical efficiency that once defined the Michael Edwards era.
By allowing Manchester City to secure an international-calibre defender for a cut-price £20 million and a dynamic forward for his release clause, Liverpool didn’t just fail to improve; they effectively handed their primary competitors the tools to widen the gap.
As the season enters its final stretch, the “what ifs” surrounding these January targets will likely loom large over Anfield. If Arne Slot’s side falls short of silverware by the narrowest of margins as they have so often in the past the hierarchy’s decision to stick to their rigid plan rather than seizing the market’s bargains will be viewed less as fiscal responsibility and more as a missed golden opportunity.
For Gerrard and the Anfield faithful, the sight of Guehi and Semenyo lifting trophies in Manchester blue serves as a stinging reminder that in the Premier League, the price of hesitation is often far higher than the cost of a transfer fee.
