Liverpool are expected to move quickly and decisively for Marc Guehi in the next few days after a journalist confirmed Arne Slot’s desire to bring him to Anfield and with details of the Reds’ likely ‘lowball’ opening offer for the Crystal Palace man coming to light.
The Merseysiders have wasted no time in strengthening their Premier League title-winning squad this summer, with no less than seven new faces all arriving. And with Freddie Woodman on Friday night becoming the latest signing, joining Giorgi Mamardashvili (a deal done last summer), Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pecsi, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez in at Liverpool, it has already proven the most heavily-spending window in the club’s history.
However, Slot and Co are not done yet and they are still keen to add a new defender and striker to their mix.
As far as a new centre-half is concerned, Crystal Palace star Guehi has rapidly risen up the Reds’ wishlist in recent days, with reports brewing that a move could be imminent.
Now, according to Liverpool FC journalist David Lynch, talks over a move for the 23-capped England star are already underway – and he believes the sale of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen – likely to go through next week – will see the Reds ramp up their own transfer plans.
“He’s just definitely a target basically, and there’s a spot opening up there,” Lynch told Anfield Index. “It’s interesting how they sell it to him in terms of game time and all those kinds of aspects of it. From the outside looking in, you saw what Quansah got last season, it wasn’t an awful lot. So, is it easy to sell that to Guehi?
“We don’t know how those conversations are going. But the one thing I can say for certain is that they like the player and if the fee is reasonable, which they think it possibly can be with Crystal Palace and him being one year from the end of his contract. If he wants the move that will help and then yeah, we could see progress.”
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Liverpool ready to make ‘lowball’ first Marc Guehi approach
We’ve been informed that Palace value Guehi at around the £70m mark, though with just a year left on his deal, could be forced to cash in for a fee nearer the £40m to £50m bracket.
However, they are willing to sell and are already making plans to sign a replacement, having accepted that the 24-year-old has likely now played his last game in Palace colours.
Knowing all that, plus factoring in reports that Guehi has already made it clear to his agents that he wants the move to Anfield, Liverpool were reported by the Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele earlier this week to be plotting a lowball opening offer worth just £30m – just to see how Palace react.
Discussing the fee and what Palace are prepared to accept, Lynch added: “The massive thing I was told was it kind of depends on how those conversations go and how they’re able to sell it to him.
“But you’re not getting indications that he’s completely not interested and Liverpool desperately need homegrown players, so this could be an important signing on that front. It could be out of the blue it starts to progress, we could see that happen.”
Liverpool transfer latest: Robertson move collapses; Alexander Isak Anfield timeline
Meanwhile, the arrival of Kerkez on Anfield has cast serious doubts over Andy Robertson’s future and with the Scot strongly linked with Atletico Madrid in recent weeks, it appeared the long-serving star was set for an emotional farewell.
However, with the Reds refusing to allow the 31-year-old to leave for a cut-price fee, Fabrizio Romano has now brought news of Atleti swooping for an alternative instead.
And with that move worth €20m / £17m on the cusp of completion, Robertson’s switch has collapsed.
Elsewhere, Alexander Isak remains the number one striker target at Liverpool and clarity has now emerged on when the Reds could formalise their interest in the Newcastle United hitman.
And finally, one of Bundesliga’s best players has told Liverpool that he wants to join Real Madrid, though Los Blancos manager Xabi Alonso has been advised not to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Marc Guehi vs Jarell Quansah: The upgrade Liverpool need?
Quansah v Guehi 2024-25 PL stats: Tackles per 90 2.3 v 1.8 Interceptions per 90 1.3 v 0.9 Clearances per 90 5.0 v 4.6 Ball recoveries per 90 3.6 v 4.3 Aerial duels success 41.2% v 53.9% Passing accuracy 92.5% v 84.2%
Jarell Quansah and Marc Guehi stats comparison