09 Jan 2026 17:43:38
I have read so many posts of contributers saying we need to buy another CH but they haven't really thought this through. We have Konate and Van Dykk at the moment but believing Guehi will sign for us either now or in the summer and Leoni coming back, if we signed another CH now he would want to be a starter and that will cost circa 60m, so who would start with Van Dykk, would it be Konate if he signed a new contract or Guehi or this new CH.
If Guehi signed he would demand to be a starter. I think we will only sign a top CH on loan who is close to finishing his contract in the summer.
09 Jan 2026 17:52:38
I imagine the list of decent CBs available for loan is pretty slim.
VVD can't play on forever, Konate hasn't signed and more often than not is an accident waiting to happen, Gomez can't stay fit and we don't really know how good Leoni is or how long it will take him to properly recover. I'd say a CB signing is essential.
09 Jan 2026 17:52:46
Konate is out of contract at the end of season and on his form this season, I wouldn't give him a new one.
van Dijk will be 35 in June.
So there's definitely room for a starter there.
09 Jan 2026 17:59:02
Gomez and Konate are out of contract in the summer.
Virgil will be into his final year.
Leoni is really young and will need time to get over his injury.
As of right now, I think we will need 3x CBs between now and September - with perhaps one that is able to also play fullback.
We don't guarantee starts for any player.
{Ed025's Note - try telling Salah that..
09 Jan 2026 18:01:50
Why are Liverpool the only club that's allowed to have 2 decent central defenders. Arsenal have about 17.
09 Jan 2026 18:09:40
Whoes the 2nd one Thunderbird?
09 Jan 2026 18:12:12
We don't have 2 world class centre halves and VVD won't last many more seasons. If Guehi wants to play for us we need to go get him now.
09 Jan 2026 18:23:17
Given Konate is out of contract this summer, it is not a problem if Guehi immediately takes his spot. I know some people are down on the guy's heading ability, but he strikes me as a top class cb, who can also cover rb and dm. And a leader, with great passing ability.
I will be gutted if he goes elsewhere.
09 Jan 2026 19:05:26
We have Van Dijk who is in the twilight of his career, Konate who is injury prone and likely out of contract in the summer, we have Gomez who is injury prone and likely to leave in the summer and Leoni who is long term injured. If the OP is seriously suggesting we should rely upon Gomez and Konate for the rest of the season and that should be fine, he's deluded.
Just remember the cluster f*ck that was 20/ 21 and consider that we have no Fabinho to protect the defence and no Nat Philips to hold the defence together in a crisis. We do need a centre back and it's neglect if we don't bring a good one in.
09 Jan 2026 21:39:10
OP, a couple of weeks after the window closes and one of Konate or VVD is injured (God forbid) and Joey, who will be the regular RB starter with Bradley out, has a flare up of his recurrent injuries who would yo play in the back 4? I'm fairly sure that those of us who see the glass as half empty would be quick off the mark to remind us that we had the opportunity to bring in players a couple of weeks before the injury crisis started.
10 Jan 2026 00:17:14
Guehi wouldn't be able to demand to be a starter at us, City or especially Arsenal.
10 Jan 2026 06:09:11
Even with a fully fit Leoni and facotring contract uncertainty with Konate, Gomez fitness issues and VVD under 1.5 years left, We have room in the squad for another starting calibre CB right now.
So it is a reasonable spend this window if we get the player we want. Worse case Konate stays and we end up with 3 starting calibre CBs plus Gomez and Leoni. That's an ok place to be for a title hunting club.
10 Jan 2026 11:23:40
@Faith potentially, we have room in the squad for 3 CB's since Gomez and Konate will be off in the summer and with Leoni still trying to get up to speed after his recovery.