Liverpool are allegedly putting together a 'lowball' opening offer for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, whom they are hopeful of picking up for less than half of the Eagles' valuation.
The England international is understood to be at the top of the Premier League champions' list to replace Jarell Quansah, who is on the verge of completing a £34m switch to Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen.
Guehi is not thought to be in any rush to leave Selhurst Park, but he is about to enter the last year of his contract with the Eagles, and there is no extension in sight.
As a result, the FA Cup winners may be forced or pressured into a sale in the current window to avoid the possibility of losing him on a free in 2026, and Liverpool appear to be pressing ahead with a summer swoop.
According to the Daily Mail, Palace have slapped a £70m price tag on Guehi's head, but they are highly unlikely to obtain that figure owing to his contract situation, and Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will try his luck with a 'lowball' £30m package.
Liverpool 'learn likely successful price' for Guehi deal
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi on December 3, 2024
The report adds that the Reds' first approach is likely to be knocked back, but Palace may not be in a position to turn down offers of around £40m and are already resigned to losing him in the current market.
Guehi has allegedly nearly agreed personal terms with Arne Slot's side, and Liverpool have now made direct contact with Palace to gauge how much will be needed to prise the 24-year-old away from Selhurst Park.
The Eagles are understood to have earmarked Sporting Lisbon's Ousmane Diomande as the perfect successor to Guehi, who has more than repaid the £20m fee that Palace forked out to Chelsea for his signature in 2021.
The England international has turned out 155 times for the London outfit since, scoring eight goals and providing four assists and captaining his side to FA Cup glory in the 2024-25 campaign.
Guehi has also won 23 caps for the Three Lions since making the switch across the capital, and the defender is anticipated to make Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup squad after forcing his way into Gareth Southgate's first-choice XI at Euro 2024.
Why Liverpool may struggle to capture Guehi this summer
Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool during his side's clash against Paris Saint-Germain, on March 11, 2025
If Liverpool are successful in their mission to lure Guehi away from Crystal Palace, the Englishman would be arriving at a time where Ibrahima Konate's future is the subject of increasing uncertainty.
Like Guehi, the Frenchman is also due to become a free agent in 2026, and it was reported on Thursday that he had decided to leave when his current terms expire at the end of next season.
Konate has allegedly decided that he wants to follow the Trent Alexander-Arnold path and join Real Madrid, but it is not clear whether Liverpool are receptive to offers this summer.
Should Konate stick around for another season, the ex-RB Leipzig man would expect to continue as Virgil van Dijk's partner, potentially making the Guehi deal a harder sell if the Palace man would have to give up his guaranteed starting place at Selhurst Park.
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