Palace chairman says club may be forced to sell now rather than risk losing the defender without a fee next summer
Liverpool have opened discussions with Crystal Palace over a potential deal for Marc Guehi.
Before the transfer window closes, Arne Slot wants to reinforce a defensive unit that can boast of only two fit senior centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
No formal bid has been submitted by Liverpool, but talks have taken place between the club and Palace. Guehi would also need convincing over his role at Anfield, as the player wants regular minutes ahead of a season that leads into the 2026 World Cup.
The England centre-back is in the final year of his contract and has no plans to sign an extension, leaving Palace facing the prospect of losing him for free next summer.
Chairman Steve Parish has admitted the club may be forced to cash in now rather than risk him walking away without a fee next summer.
“For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem,” said Parish. “We had one bid but Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham] and we couldn’t afford to lose both defenders.
“We had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well. The player had a point of view on that one. We’ll have to see what happens but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”
Liverpool’s need to sign a defender comes after Jarell Quansah joined Bayer Leverkusen last month for £35m. Joe Gomez is also sidelined and difficult to rely on given his injury record.
