Liverpool have been warned they could face hefty financial demands if they sign Marc Guehi in the summer
Marc Guehi looks on
Marc Guehi is expected to command a huge salary and a hefty signing-on fee if he becomes available for free
View 2 Images
Liverpool have been warned that securing Marc Guehi won't necessarily be a bargain, with substantial salary expectations and a hefty signing-on fee anticipated. The Crystal Palace centre-back was on the brink of joining the Reds on summer transfer deadline day, but the deal fell through at the eleventh hour, despite a £35million agreement being in place.
Liverpool have been persistently linked with a January move for Guehi, along with several other Premier League clubs and foreign teams. However, BBC Sport report the 25-year-old is likely to stay at Palace for the remainder of the season and fulfil the last six months of his contract.
With Guehi set to become a free agent in the summer, numerous top European clubs are reportedly interested in snapping him up. Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has now suggested that the England star could demand wages of up to £300,000 per week and a colossal signing-on fee of £30m, potentially pushing Liverpool's financial boundaries in their pursuit of him.
Speaking on the Fozcast podcast, the former Watford and Wrexham keeper said: "Marc Guehi could go to anybody in the world. If he lets his contract run down to the summer, he can sign for whoever he wants.
"At that point there he gets to say, 'I want £250,000 a week' or 'I want £300,000,' because if he gets four, five or six teams sniffing at him and wanting him, he'll get it as well. The amount of money this guy's about to earn is honestly outrageous.
"With the signing on fee, you haven't got to pay £40m or £50m for a player like Marc Guehi, instead of that, you can say, 'Give me a signing on fee of £30m and we'll call it quits.' It's crazy money."
Palace manager Oliver Glasner has already indicated that he expects Guehi to leave the club on a free transfer after revealing that the player has no intention of renewing his contract.
In October, the Eagles' boss said: "I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year. The club wanted him to stay. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, 'No, I want to make something different.'
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Arne Slot has admitted Liverpool don't have unlimited funds to spend in January
View 2 Images
"That's normal. And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."
Reports from Spain suggest Barcelona held talks with Guehi's representatives but were deterred by the financial demands associated with securing his signature. Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arne Slot has remained tight-lipped about potential January signings, acknowledging that the Reds won't have an unlimited budget.
He said: "Some teams have so many [options] but most other teams do not. This is our way of working at Liverpool. The outside world wants to believe we have unlimited money, but that is not true.
"You insiders know – and you are the only ones because the outside world only talks about our spending – what we have brought in (money) to spend.
"That is the way we work over here. You then have to accept that in certain games during a season you are short of a right full-back. But we are still able to win. I fully believe in that way of working, by the way."
Join our LFC WhatsApp community and get all the latest LFC news, views, transfer gossip and more, as it happens We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Content Image
Content Image