Liverpool have been linked with a summer move for Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi, but a switch now reportedly looks unlikely to come to fruition.
The 23-year-old has seen his reputation enhanced greatly in recent times, having stood out as one of England’s best players at Euro 2024.
While too many fell below their best in Germany this summer, despite reaching the final, Guehi was a model of consistency at the heart of the defence, starting six matches and completing 93.5% of his passes.
Palace now have a battle on their hands to keep hold of the Englishman in the current transfer window, having already lost Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, and he has emerged as a rumoured option for Liverpool.
The Reds need to bring in a new central defender this summer, in order to fill the void left by the departed Joel Matip, and Guehi ticks plenty of boxes, in terms of being a talented young defender who is strong on the ball and has further levels to find.
According to Football Insider, however, Guegi is “likely to prove too expensive for Liverpool”, with Palace “demanding” as much as £70m for one of their biggest assets.
The report does state that the Reds are “still keen to sign a first-choice left-sided defender” between now and the start of the season, though, as they look to bring in someone who can ease Virgil van Dijk’s workload.
Our thoughts on Liverpool missing out on Guehi…
While Guehi has the potential to be an excellent signing for Liverpool, the size of the price tag does make it far more of a gamble, considering he hasn’t yet proven himself over an extended period.
There are equally exciting options across Europe that could end up costing less, with the English premium so often making the prices of homegrown players bloated, so Arne Slot, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes would be wise to look there instead.
Sporting CP star Goncalo Inacio has been linked with joining Liverpool, for example, and while he wouldn’t be cheap, he could be a great alternative option to look at.
Should Guehi suddenly become available for a cut-price amount, the Reds should look to swoop, but with his current Palace deal not expiring until the summer of 2026, that feels unlikely to happen.
