Crystal Palace and Liverpool should consider a swap deal this summer.placeholder image
Crystal Palace and Liverpool should consider a swap deal this summer. | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool lead the race for Marc Guehi but Crystal Palace shouldn’t sell too easily.
Crystal Palace are in the market for attacking reinforcements this summer. Liverpool want a centre-back. Perhaps the Premier League rivals could help scratch each other’s backs?
Oliver Glasner’s Eagles are preparing for a campaign of Europa League football while Arne Slot’s Reds are facing the tricky task of defending a Premier League title, while improving their efforts in the Champions League.
To complete those goals, both Crystal Palace and Liverpool will need to invest this summer with key target areas for recruitment emerging.
Liverpool frontrunners for Marc Guehi transfer
Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi finds himself at the centre of a transfer saga once again. The England international was highly sought after last summer with a £65 million bid from Newcastle United rejected and those rumours began again in January. Now, with just 12 months left on his contract, an exit seems somewhat inevitable.
TEAMtalk this week have reported that Liverpool have ‘thundered’ closer to the signing of Guehi with a £47 million fee agreed between the two clubs. Crystal Palace could then look to use that money to fund a swoop for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but perhaps that is not the best play here.
Even with Guehi into the final 12 months of his contract, there is no shortage of suitors, and Crystal Palace could look to use that to stronghold Liverpool into a a position of sending the talented Harvey Elliott to Selhurst Park as part of the transfer deal.
Crystal Palace should stronghold Liverpool into swap deal
Elliott seems the type of player who would surely excel in north London. Still just 22 year old, there’s huge space for potential and the Eagles are famous for bringing that out of stars. What’s more, he can play on either flank and through the middle, boasting a versatility that would work perfectly in behind Jean-Philippe Mateta - and could replace Eberechi Eze.
The Athletic reports that, following his five goals in six European Under-21 Championship matches, Elliott is attracting ‘significant interest’ having won the Player of the Tournament award - an accolade previously handed to players such as Juan Mata, Petr Cech, Andrea Pirlo and Fabio Cannavaro.
Liverpool are expected to want between £40 and £50 million for Elliott. That’s a lofty fee that may be unreachable for Crystal Palace in a normal move, but could be brought down by only sending Guehi to Anfield with Elliott coming the other way.
There are other young options set to be on the move this summer, including Manchester City star James McAtee and Chelsea man Carney Chukwuemaka, but Elliott offers experience far past his age. The Liverpool man has made 94 Premier League appearances and can also add some needed European experience to the Crystal Palace squad thanks to his 14 Champions League and 10 Europa League outings.
In other news, Crystal Palace handed double Europa League ban boost as UK Government confirm major change.
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