Marc Guehi is set to come face-to-face with a disgruntled Anfield crowd on Sunday as he travels to face Liverpool with Manchester City.
Reds supporters had been hoping to see the centre-back playing for them in the near future after he came just minutes away from signing last summer.
Liverpool had been expected to try for Guehi again during the January transfer window, but despite having agreed an initial deal with the Reds only four months prior, the 25-year-old joined City instead.
Upon completing a move to Pep Guardiola’s side, Guehi declared City to be the ‘best club in England,’ further annoying Liverpool fans who believed he was holding out for his move to Anfield. Liverpool were prepared to wait for Guehi, honouring their agreement from the previous window. But the England international jumped at the chance to earn a reported 300k-per-week at the Etihad Stadium.
Clearly, Guehi is never going to come out and declare money as being the motivation behind his decision to join the Citizens, but when asked how he’s feeling ahead of the trip to Anfield, he came up with another reason which will leave eyes rolling all across Merseyside.
Given his reputation as a professional and a real man of his word, Liverpool fans have a right to be annoyed that Guehi followed the money this January.
The Reds do still need him and it would have surely still worked for everyone had he joined a year later than initially planned.
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According to Guehi, though, the decision was completely out of his hands. Instead, as he told Sky Sports in the build-up to Saturday’s match, the plan was left up to God.
“I said in previous interviews that it was it wasn’t really up to me, it was God’s plan and I think God’s plan has been in full fruition,” he said.
“So, you know, I’m just looking forward to the game, looking forward to playing against a tough opposition in a great environment and trying to do the best that we can to get a win.”
Clearly, Guehi can do whatever he likes. He does not owe anything at all to Liverpool or their supporters. Football is a business after all, and his decision was arguably a business decision.
Nevertheless, it grates a little bit to hear him decline any responsibility for letting the Reds down and choosing to join one of their biggest domestic rivals instead. The initial failure of the deal was not up to him, that is true, but he had free will to pick his next move. It should have been Liverpool.
Certainly, it feels especially possible that he will be forced to reckon with his choices at Anfield on Sunday, with Liverpool fans ready to let him know how they feel.
The crowd are unlikely to accept such cop-out reasons for snubbing their club and Guehi could be in for some lively treatment during Sunday’s game.
Some may think that unfair or perhaps even tinpot behaviour, but if it helps the crowd inside Anfield gain a feisty edge during what is a huge game, they should boo to their heart’s content.
