Liverpool have finalised the sale of Jarrel Quansah and are likely to be in the transfer market for a replacement.
It appears that Marc Guehi is the chief centre-back target for Liverpool.
After the exit of Jarell Quansah, having been sold for up to £35 million to Bayer Leverkusen, the Reds are left slightly short in the rearguard. Arne Slot does not lack quality options. Virgil van Dijk is regarded as the best in the world by many. He formed a superb partnership with Ibrahima Konate last season, which provided the bedrock for Liverpool to win the Premier League title.
Guehi eyed
The versatility and attitude of Joe Gomez is something that is admired by Slot. Gomez had injury problems last season but remains a highly-valued member of the squad. But head coach Slot will likely want another option to play in central defence as the Reds not only prepare to defend the Premier League title but look to go deeper in the Champions League in the 2025-26 season.
Guehi is an attractive option for several reasons. The Crystal Palace man is still only aged 24 and has more than 100 Premier League appearances under his belt. In addition, he captained the Eagles to FA Cup glory last season and is a regular for England.
But while Guehi is in the final year of his Palace contract, the difficulty could be agreeing a price tag - and if the South London club can find a suitable replacement. Liverpool will not want to overpay, but the Eagles will not be keen to lose one of their prized assets for a cut price, even though he may leave for free in a year’s time.
Alternative option
Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes may have a contingency plan in place should they not be able to broker a deal for Guehi. Ideally, they would bring in someone who is still on an upward curve and potentially capable of playing in more than one position.
Someone who would fit that bill is Jorrel Hato, who has been linked with a potential move to Anfield. Hato is already a regular for Ajax despite being aged 19. He has made 111 appearances for the Dutch giants, scoring four goals and creating nine assists. Last season, Hato primarily operated as a left-back for Ajax - and was named as the Eredivisie’s Talent of the Year but was mainly deployed in the middle of the back four in the previous campaign. Hato has also been capped six times for the Netherlands senior side and helped the under-21s reach the semi-finals of this summer’s European Championships.
Liverpool are not the only club said to have eyes on Hato, though. Arsenal have also been linked with a potential move for the teenager. However, it might be unlikely that the Gunners - who finished runners-up to the Reds in the Premier League last season - make a move for Hato.
That is because Mikel Arteta’s side appear to be focusing on signing another highly-rated young defender that is Valencia’s Cristhian Mosquera. According to ESPN, Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Mosquera, 20, and are trying to negotiate a fee of around £15 million.
Arsenal already have Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Caliafiori and Ben White who can all play centrally and in full-back roles. Should Mosquera be signed then it may mean Arsenal do not pursue Hato - which may give Liverpool a free run at Hato should they wish to pursue a potential deal.
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