The Premier League champions’ ability to promise Guehi a starting spot might determine whether the England defender joins the club or not
Liverpool are in advanced talks to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, with discussions between the two clubs expected to accelerate over the next 24 hours as the Reds look to reinforce their back line ahead of the new season.
Sources close to the negotiations confirm that Liverpool have emerged as front-runners for Guehi’s signature, ahead of several Premier League rivals who had also been monitoring the England international.
The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park, which has significantly weakened Palace’s negotiating position, with the club having previously valued the centre-back at £70m.
Palace are now expected to settle for a reduced fee of around £40m – a figure influenced in part by the 20% sell-on clause owed to Chelsea, Guehi’s boyhood club. That clause was inserted into the deal that took him to Palace in 2021 for £18m.
Guehi is Palace’s captain and has been an ever-present figure and a key reason for their stability over recent seasons, but the opportunity to join the Premier League champions might be too great to ignore. However, the England defender has expressed his desire to move to a club where he can be assured of a starting spot, and Liverpool’s ability to grant that might be a significant decider of whether Guehi joins the club this summer or not.
The Reds have already made several first-team signings this summer. A high-profile £116m deal for Florian Wirtz has grabbed the most attention, but Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili are all crucial additions to Arne Slot’s side this summer as the champions look to rebuild from a position of dominance.
