Gough ‘would be playing left wing for Liverpool’ if they had paid Crystal Palace £5m more.

Mark Gehey was rejected by a deadline day move to Liverpool, for whom he would currently be “playing on the left wing” if the Reds offered Crystal Palace just $5 million for his services.

Palace currently sit just one point behind Liverpool in the Premier League as the reigning champions’ dramatic slump has seen Arne Slott’s side lose five of their last six top-flight games but put paid to their chances of retaining their title.

This term they have already conceded 17 goals compared to 41 last season as they count the cost of failing to secure Gueye’s signature.

READ MORE: Wirtz and Isak are the new Anthony and Maguire as Liverpool copy-man UTD

Ex-Everton, Sunderland and Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison believes Gueye will be playing on the left-back in the summer, with veteran Andy Robertson signing Milos Kerkes in the summer.

And Hutchinson believes Liverpool will regret not paying Palace a bit more to land the 25-year-old, and wonders if they could now miss their chance.

He told sportscasting.com: “They’ve blown their chances of landing him. A million percent. I mean, I’d love to be a fly on the wall at Liverpool when they don’t get a goy deal. Let’s just say Crystal Palace wanted $45 million. Liverpool should have given them $50 million, because they had six years to pay.”

“When I compare Liverpool to Arsenal, I see two proper men and two proper boys who won’t be bullied in Saliba and Gabriel as well as Califori and Wood. So you’ve got a center back four there. If Mark Gehey was at Liverpool, he’d be playing on the left wing and you’d have Covenet, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, Van Dijk, versatile.

More Liverpool coverage on F365
👉 World-class joins ‘world-class’ in Garnacho
👉 Wirtz hails two dimming ‘positives’ as Liverpool star ‘keeps his mouth shut’
👉 Sharer offers three reasons for Salah’s demise as Carragher pleads to ‘play someone else’ in the slot

“Liverpool should have just paid Palace what they wanted. I think it was a poor move. They were too focused on signing Isak. I understand, because you can’t rule him out, but Gueye has to be the second priority.

“This January has to be a marker with Guy if they want to finish in the top four. They need to pull out all the stops to land him in January because by summer time, I think he will have a lot of options to choose from, and they might be more attractive to him and his family.”

Ibrahima Konate has been criticized for his performances this season and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid in January as his contract expires in the summer.

But Hutchinson will hold on to the France international until the end of the season as “a good body to be around”.

He added: “I’ll keep Contet from now until the end of the season because he’s a good body in case Virgil gets injured, or if Guey signs and knocks.

“If Guhi went to the left, you’d still need Contet. I’d keep him around until the summer, and if he wants to go on a free transfer, Liverpool will have an iron or two in the fire to replace him and replace him.”