Crystal Palace believe Liverpool are the only club who could try to sign defender Marc Guehi during the January transfer window Air sports.
The England international was on the verge of joining Premier League champions the Eagles last summer. He underwent medical treatment at the Anfield giants but Palace vetoed the move A £35 million deal after they were unable to find a suitable replacement.
Guehi will enter the final six months of his contract at the turn of the year and Palace believe only Liverpool can try to prize him away in January rather than waiting for the end of the season.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are also interested in the talented central defender, but are eyeing a transfer. Guehi is free to talk to foreign clubs when the new year arrives.
Requirement
Liverpool are short-handed in the central defensive department following the long-term injury sustained by summer signing Giovanni Leoni. The former Parma youngster could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
This leaves The Reds with only three fit central defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez. In the trio, Gomez was injury prone and inconsistent with his performances.
If either Van Dijk or Konate gets injured, the season could be further derailed. It will therefore be no surprise if Liverpool make a move for Guehi mid-season rather than waiting for a Bosman move.
Guehi is a perfect fit for Merseyside’s heavyweights. He has a strong physical and aerial presence and almost won 70% of his duels this campaign with 5 recoveries, 3 clearances and 2 tackles per match.
He is one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country. If he were to join the Reds in the next transfer window, he could potentially replace Konate, who has been far from his best of late.
Konate’s future is uncertain as his contract expires next summer. Slot could be tempted to bench him and start Guehi alongside Van Dijk at the heart of the backline for the second half of the season.
Palace appear reluctant to part ways with their captain, but the Eagles could change their position if Liverpool pay £20-25m for a player who could leave the club for nothing at the end of the season.
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