Liverpool and Chelsea look set to be embroiled in a tense Premier League title race this season, and the two clubs could also be vying with each other off the pitch for a mutual transfer target in 2025.
Last week, Fabrizio Romano outlined that Anfield chiefs are ‘monitoring centre-backs on the European market’, with just over a fortnight remaining until the January window commences and Richard Hughes has the chance to bolster Arne Slot’s squad.
To that effect, the Merseysiders may be looking at a player who’s already very familiar to an English audience.
According to the Sunday Mirror (via Liverpool Echo), LFC are ‘ready to pounce’ on a potential swoop for Marc Guehi, who’s also wanted by Chelsea and Newcastle.
Crystal Palace had wanted £70m for their defender in the summer, with the Magpies submitting numerous unsuccessful bids for him, but they might now be compelled to sell him for less than that as he has just over 18 months remaining on his contract.
Although an end-of-season exit is deemed the most likely outcome, the Eagles might be open to parting with the 24-year-old in January at the right price.
Liverpool had actually been linked with Guehi during the summer transfer window, and the centre-back has reportedly indicated to close friends that he’d be interested in a move to Anfield, so there could be scope for the Reds to raid Selhurst Park for the England international.
Gareth Southgate described the 24-year-old as ‘exceptional‘ in England’s run to the Euro 2024 final, in which he missed a last-gasp chance to equalise, and Slot might view the Palace defender as an ideal option to bolster that part of the squad and help towards homegrown quota rules.
While it’s hoped that Ibrahima Konate might be back from injury by the end of this month, defensive depth has been an issue for LFC lately with Conor Bradley and Kostas Tsimikas also sidelined, and Virgil van Dijk’s contract situation has yet to be resolved.
As per FBref, Guehi’s underlying statistics in relation to positional peers in Europe’s five main leagues aren’t mind-blowing, so Liverpool mustn’t allow themselves to have their pants pulled down by the Eagles over any transfer fee they might end up paying for him.
However, these latest reports indicate that the south London club might accept a lower price for him in 2025 than during the summer, and the carrot of hijacking Chelsea’s pursuit of the defender could be too difficult for Hughes to resist!
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