Liverpool remain hopeful of convincing Crystal Palace to sell them Marc Guehi with talks over a deal due to open this week – and while one trusted reporter insists they could look to sign an alternative instead, a possible swap deal involving a quality upcoming forward could yet swing a deal with the Eagles in their favour.
The Premier League champions are already this summer’s biggest spenders, having already committed some £190m+ on new arrivals. And while Giorgi Mamardashvili (a deal done last summer), Jeremie Frimpong, Armin Pecsi, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Freddie Woodman have already signed on the dotted line, Liverpool are not finished yet.
Indeed, next on their radar is a new centre-half – with Guehi the prime focus – and with an elite new striker also on their wishlist.
However, a deal for the 24-year-old does not look too straightforward, despite Crystal Palace’s willingness to negotiate for a star who now has just 12 months remaining on his current deal.
To that end, the FA Cup winners are understood to be ready to sell the 23-times capped England international for a fee of around £45m to £50m (up to €58.5m, $68.7m).
However, amid claims Liverpool are ready to ‘lowball’ Palace by making a cheeky opening offer to see how the Eagles will react, a new report now claims they could also look to use star young winger Ben Doak as part of a swap deal.
The 19-year-old impressed during a season’s loan with Middlesbrough last season, scoring three goals and adding seven assists from 24 appearances.
And already linked with several Premier League moves off the back of that form on Teesside, The Sun claims the Reds will offer Palace the chance to sign the £25m-rated (€29.2m, $34.3m) Doak to drive down their outlay for Guehi.
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Journalist claims Liverpool are cautious over Marc Guehi deal with Plan B eyed
The Eagles are understood to be admirers of the Scottish star, so the offer to bring him the other way could swing things in Liverpool’s favour.
But with talks due to open between the clubs this week, Liverpool should learn soon enough what sort of mood their Premier League counterparts are in over negotiations over Guehi.
And while our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti revealed last weekend that Guehi is already close to agreeing personal terms at Anfield, another journalist suggests they could yet be forced to abandon their efforts to secure his signing if they deem a deal too expensive.
According toBen Jacobs, Liverpool ‘have no plans’ to meet the £45m-£50m valuation of Guehi. As it goes, the reporter claims the Reds are ‘still assessing’ if they really do have a ‘genuine’ opportunity to sign the 24-year-old.
Jacobs concludes that Liverpool ‘will only advance their interest […] if Crystal Palace’s asking price drops’.
If not, Jacobs fully expects Liverpool to move on to other targets, with Jacobs clarifying that their ‘ideal profile’ would be someone in the 18-22 age bracket anyway – at least two years younger than Guehi.
And according to Jacobs – and as revealed by Galetti on TEAMtalk way back in January – another defender they admire who does fit within their preferred age bracket is Ajax’s Jorrel Hato.
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Despite the ongoing interest in Guehi, former Reds striker Stan Collymore feels Arne Slot’s side should take a look instead at signing a top quality Aston Villa man as an alternative.
Meanwhile, former manager Jurgen Klopp has advised RB Leipzig to spend big money on the signing of a sparingly-used Liverpool star this summer, citing him as an ideal replacement for an international star due to depart the Red Bull Arena.
On the subject of Klopp, the German has described the fee Liverpool paid for Florian Wirtz as “insane”, and the former Reds boss also fired a warning that comes with the territory of paying record-breaking sums.
Talking of inflated transfer fees, Liverpool have been told a deal for Alexander Isak remains very much an open door this summer, after a significant triple update renewed Slot’s prospects of landing his dream signing in a blockbuster transfer.
How Marc Guehi compared to Van Dijk and Konate in 2024/25
Guehi Van Dijk Konate Appearances 34 37 31 Tackles 61 38 40 Blocked shots 23 16 15 Ball recoveries 146 115 98 Ground duels won 99 54 62
Guehi’s stats up against Van Dijk and Konate in the 2024-25 Premier League