Tottenham have reportedly had a major bid rejected for Crystal Palace and Liverpool-linked centre-back Marc Guehi.
The defender has been in fine form for the Eagles this season and Liverpool are at risk of needing a high-profile centre-back signing to replace Virgil van Dijk given his current contract situation.
The Dutchman is out of contract in June and so until Liverpool extends his contract, the club finds themselves having to survey the best centre-backs on the market.
The situation has been the same all season but as 2025 ticks on, the stress among Liverpool supporters over van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah’s expiring contracts increases just as excitement over a potential league title grows.
Guehi has been linked as a potential replacement {more}
Tottenham have £70m bid rejected for Marc Guehi
According to Sky Sports, Tottenham bid £70 million for Marc Guehi on the weekend but had the bid turned down by Crystal Palace. Their stance is that the 24-year-old will spend the entirety of the 2024/25 season at Selhurst Park.
Spurs have suffered hugely from injuries this season with Ange Postecoglou struggling to field a defensive lineup capable of withstanding the full scrutiny of Premier League attacks.
Newcastle United and Chelsea are also keen on signing Guehi but are not pursuing him on Deadline Day.
Palace rejecting £70 million now could cost them a lot money, however, with Guehi out of contract in June 2026 – less than 18 months from now.
This is good news for Liverpool and potentially a sign of how much more valuable having Guehi for the rest of the season is compared to the huge money Palace could receive now for him.
Liverpool can’t afford to lose van Dijk even if Guehi is a good player
It hurts imagining van Dijk leaving Liverpool – for free, no less.
If he were to go and Arne Slot wanted Guehi, it would be a good signing but the English defender is a departure from the class of van Dijk.
Liverpool must be very careful about who they sign after van Dijk.
So much of the Reds’ style and identity is based on how incredible he is in 1 v 1 situations. Aerially and on the ground.
His ability to stand up and face off against any attacker on the planet means that when Liverpool are over-committed, as they so often are, they can rest assured.
Guehi could be an astute signing but it would still be preferable to simply pay van Dijk what he’s asking and avoid the transfer risk altogether.