Liverpool are firing on all cylinders in the transfer market this summer, but as is becoming frustratingly habitual, Real Madrid's encroaching shadow has loomed above Anfield.
It didn't come as much of a surprise when Trent Alexander-Arnold announced he would leave at the end of his contract and join Los Blancos.
And neither did it shock the Premier League when Spain international Dean Huijsen opted to reject the crowd of interest in England last month, instead moving to the Santiago Bernabeu when Florentino Perez activated his £50m release clause at Bournemouth.
Huijsen-Real-Madrid
Liverpool had a vested interest in Huijsen, whose breakout year has been a special thing. The archetypal modern defender, Huijsen, who is two-footed, would have been the perfect long-term heir for captain Virgil van Dijk, who turns 34 next month.
As it is, Liverpool will need to turn their attention elsewhere, not least because Real Madrid are now sniffing around for Ibrahima Konate.
The latest on Ibrahima Konate's Liverpool future
Arne Slot has created a hothouse for sustained success at Liverpool, but if Konate is tempted by the pull of Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid, it might be that he's played his last in a Liverpool shirt.
Indeed, the French defender is entering the final year of his contract, and while he's one of the best centre-backs in England, FSG might need to cash in if he attempts to run his contract down, with Madrid looking to snap him up on a Bosman in 12 months.
Konate, 26, has come off the back of his best campaign in a Liverpool shirt, winning the Premier League and starting 30 times, notably completing 90% of his passes and winning 66% of his duels, as per Sofascore.
Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate celebrates after winning the Premier League
Some at Liverpool maintain it would be a good idea to sell the hulking star this summer, with a figure of around €60m (£51m) settled as a fair price.
If this is the case, Liverpool will need to find an alternative to Huijsen and bring him over to Slot's brood.
Liverpool chasing new centre-back
As per Reds insider DaveOCKOP, Liverpool are interested in signing Marc Guehi this summer, with the Crystal Palace defender's homegrown status appealing given Jarell Quansah may leave the club for Bayer Leverkusen.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi reacts after the match
Guehi, who is wanted by a host of teams including Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, the latter of whom saw a £70m offer rejected in February.
With one year left on his deal, it feels like Eagles owner Steve Parish's resolve will waver at some stage this summer, and a pathway will be cleared for a club such as Liverpool to swoop.
What Marc Guehi would bring to Liverpool
Guehi has been an instrumental part of Crystal Palace's progress in recent years, reaching his crescendo in May as he helped Oliver Glasner's side defeat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
marc guehi
Joining Selhurst Park from Chelsea in a £18m package back in 2021, Guehi has only gone from strength to strength, playing 155 matches across all competitions and bringing major silverware to the south Londoners for the first time in their history.
Also proven on the international stage, the 24-year-old was even regarded by one content creator last year to be "England's best centre-back", indeed having been one of the better performers under Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024.
Liverpool would only improve with such a refined and established Premier League defender in their mix. His combative and composed defensive qualities have been elevated by an ever-improving passing game that would allow him to potentially even outgrow Konate.
Rarely hit with injuries, Guehi is sturdier on the fitness front than his Les Bleus counterpart, and, moreover, has a more dangerous attacking element to his skill set that would help Liverpool find firmer footing in regard to their set-piece efficiency.
When looking at how the defenders ranked up in the Premier League last season, you begin to see why Slot is so keen on bringing Guehi over to Merseyside, with his rounded performances bespeaking a level which will only shoot upwards playing in a team competing at the forefront of domestic and European football.
Prem 24/25 - Marc Guehi vs Ibrahima Konate
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Pass completion
Key passes*
Dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Duels won*
Data via Sofascore
There's a reason why so many top English outfits want to bring Guehi into their mix, and if Liverpool to find themselves cashing in on Konate this summer, the Palace man could prove to not only be a fitting replacement but actually an upgrade, making the necessary tweaks to his skill set that playing at Liverpool would hand to him.
Described as "one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably" by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Englishman could even succeed Van Dijk later down the line, playing on that left-hand side in a role that was envisaged just a few months ago for Huijsen.
His ball-carrying and -playing skills proved he would has the capacity to become one of the best, that and his dynamism.
virgil-van-dijk-liverpool
Ultimately, Liverpool know that losing Konate will prove a big blow: he's settled into the Anfield side as one of the most impressive and rounded centre-halves out there. He works so well as Van Dijk's foil.
But Guehi has his best years ahead of him and could absorb the fruits of Liverpool's skipper's final labours over the next two years, before taking the prize as Liverpool's star man in the rearguard in just a few years.
Could Konate achieve that too? Of course. However, Guehi's incremental growth suggests he might just take the cake.
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Liverpool are looking to sign a centre-forward this summer.