January represents the final opportunity for Crystal Palace to make a profit on Marc Guehi, the player they signed from Chelsea in 2021.
Liverpool have struggled for consistency this season, with the defensive partnership of Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk coming under increasing scrutiny.
Konate is also out of contract at the end of the season, amid rumours of interest from Real Madrid.
Slot’s side currently have a Premier League goal difference of minus two, with only three clubs conceding more goals.
Guehi would undoubtedly be a valuable addition to Liverpool’s squad, but he will likely want assurances of regular playing time ahead of England’s World Cup campaign next summer.
Palace chairman Steve Parish, who ultimately blocked a summer move to Liverpool, explained that his decision was made in the best interests of the club.
“It’s a difficult decision. It’s as simple as that these things are never black and white,” Parish said.
“I decided in the end that, based on the advice that I got and with what I think, that we would have a better season if we kept Marc.
“We don’t guess about these things.
“If you look at it rationally, if you look at what is worth the place in the Premier League, the fact that we’re in the Conference League for the first time in our history, this is a fairly unusual set of circumstances in which to keep a player.
“If we were fighting between the difference of 10th and 14th, if that was going to be the difference between keeping Marc and letting Marc go, then probably we would have said: ‘Right, we should take the money’.”
According to The Mirror, Liverpool will have to break the bank to sign Marc Guehi in January, with Real Madrid and Barcelona also interested in the Crystal Palace captain on a free transfer this summer.
The Reds failed with a £35m deadline-day move in the summer, and they may need to offer a similar amount to convince both Guehi and Palace to agree to a January transfer, despite the player’s contract running down.
Guehi has already refused a new deal at Palace.
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