Liverpool has been linked with a transfer for Marc Guehi. However, Crystal Palace is keen to have a replacement lined up, and the latest developments could hold up a deal.
A central defender has been mentioned as on the agenda at Anfield since last summer. Virgil van Dijk's renewal may have removed a little of the urgency, but sanctioning the sale of Jarell Quansah will surely push Liverpool into the market.
After all, Van Dijk still turns 34 next month, so Liverpool has not avoided the need to start succession planning altogether. Meanwhile, Ibrahima Konate has ticked into the last year of his deal, raising questions about his long-term future.
Marking his 10-year anniversary at the club, Joe Gomez did at least signal his desire to stay put. But while he provides a useful depth option when fit, Liverpool certainly needs to expand the center-back department.
Guehi would be a strong option. Impressive in the Premier League over multiple seasons and still only 24 years old, Liverpool is also hopeful that he would be reasonably cheap.
That's because Guehi has entered the final year of his Crystal Palace contract. He has seemingly made it clear that he does not intend to sign new terms, meaning the Eagles will have to cash in now or lose him on a free next summer.
There's no guarantee they will give into that pressure. Liverpool, after all, just went through almost a whole campaign with contract uncertainty hanging over three star players, ultimately getting Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah to sign extensions while losing Trent Alexander-Arnold for a small fee.
But based on its extensive scouting of possible alternatives, it seems Crystal Palace may be intending to sell. It has had scouts watching Ousmane Diomande of Sporting all season.
Ousmane Diomande of Sporting Clube de Portugal reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Clube de Portugal at Signal Iduna Park on February 19, 2025 in Dortmund, Germany.
Ousmane Diomande of Sporting Clube de Portugal. (Image: Teresa Kroeger - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
However, this is where the latest twist comes. According to Record, there is still a "considerable gap" between Palace and Sporting when it comes to the valuation of Diomande.
As is stands, Crystal Palace would need to smash its transfer record to get Diomande. Funnily enough, that record was set when signing Christian Benteke from Liverpool for $43.5 million (£32 million) in 2016.
Sporting, for its part, values Diomande at more like $69 million (£51 million). Palace is yet to make a formal bid, but negotiations to land its man will not be straightforward.
That may yet leave Liverpool's transfer pursuit in limbo. Crystal Palace is believed to want to secure a replacement before sanctioning a move for Guehi, so a Diomande hold-up will cause a blockage in the chain.
And even if a deal can be thrashed out, Liverpool may fear that the price for Guehi will rise too high if Crystal Palace is seeking to cover the costs of a Diomande deal. A $95 million (£70 million) Spurs bid for the England international was rejected in January, but the Reds would hope to strike a deal at more like the $54 million (£40 million) mark.
Of course, Palace does not hold all of the cards, given the looming risk of losing Guehi for nothing. But the more Sporting holds out over Diomande, the more Liverpool may feel it is time to look elsewhere.