Liverpool will want to pay a fee close to £40m for Marc Guehi, rather than the £50m that Crystal Palace have demanded, Reds transfer expert David Lynch has asserted.
Despite having already spent nearly £200m this summer, the champions look set to bring in further reinforcements, with a centre-back high on the team's priority list given Jarell Quansah will imminently join Bayer Leverkusen.
Palace defender Guehi only has one year remaining on his deal, though the Eagles did reject a bid worth £70m from Tottenham Hotspur in January, and the Reds may face a battle to agree a cut-price deal this summer.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch insisted that Liverpool will attempt to bring the Englishman's price down, saying: "£50m would be where Crystal Palace are going to want to pitch it and Liverpool will want to be much closer to £40m in terms of where they'll approach things - that's where the negotiations start.
"In terms of out-and-out negotiations ongoing right now, I'm not entirely sure, but he's definitely a player they like. They need a signal from Palace that there is a negotiation to be had and that it's not going to be a case where it drags on all summer as it did with Newcastle a couple of seasons ago.
"A lot will depend on how hardline Crystal Palace are and whether they might be willing to lose him on a free next summer, [whether] they keep hold of him to go and compete in Europe. We have to see whether their stance softens."
Newcastle United were locked in negotiations with Palace throughout the summer of 2024, but ultimately failed to make a breakthrough.
Marc Guehi for Crystal Palace on May 5, 2025
Guehi concerns
Guehi managed to lead Palace to FA Cup glory in 2024-25, but though he enjoyed an exceptional season at Selhurst Park, there are concerns about how he would fit in at Anfield.
The 24-year-old only won 59% of his aerial duels last term in the Premier League, while Virgil van Dijk (69%) and Ibrahima Konate (66%) were far more dominant in the air.
However, Lynch believes that the desired profile at centre-back may have changed under Arne Slot, telling Sports Mole: "It says something about the kind of change in transfer policy at Liverpool because we are so used to them not even considering a centre-half that didn't win 65% of their aerial duels.
"You thought 'oh that's a Liverpool thing, that's what their recruitment staff think' but clearly we're seeing that it's more of a Jurgen Klopp thing than anything else because Dean Huijsen's aerial duel success rate wasn't incredible. It was better than Guehi's, but it wasn't incredible.
"They're clearly okay with having at least one of their centre-halves not being aerially dominant, and that's an interesting feature of how things are slightly changing in terms of how Liverpool approach the window. I've been taken by surprise by this link, but he is without doubt a very good player."
Under previous boss Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool's centre-backs were expected to consistently compete for and win aerial battles in order to sustain pressure, while the on-ball demands were not nearly as significant as they currently are under Slot.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi reacts on April 5, 2025
Saliba comparisons
Though there are some concerns about Guehi's ability in the air, other centre-backs such as Arsenal's William Saliba have excelled despite not being specialists off the ground.
The Frenchman has been a standout star for the Gunners in each of the past three seasons, with his passing helping establish him as one of the league's finest at the back.
Lynch claimed that the Saliba proves defenders do not have to be aerially dominant to succeed, when he told Sports Mole: "He'd be ideal because he's homegrown he's only 24 - nearly 25 - but is already vastly experienced. He's good on the ball as well, a very good dribbler for a centre-half, so there's loads to like about him as a player. He would be a smart signing.
"Saliba is a great shout because you can expose him if you can get him in [the air], but how many teams have exposed Arsenal? Their biggest weakness is they can't score. They don't concede many and it's been a long time since they've conceded three in a Premier League game.
"You can mitigate for weaknesses, though you're making the team smaller. Liverpool are losing height everywhere with their additions. Kerkez isn't the biggest, Frimpong isn't. If you add Guehi then you've still got Mac Allister in the team, Florian Wirtz isn't the tallest. They're going to have to add height somewhere."
Perhaps Liverpool would be able to minimise some of Guehi's struggles in the air by signing a taller striker, who would be able to help when defending set pieces.
> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Liverpool's pursuit of Marc Guehi
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