The Premier League champions have taken a major step towards securing another of their key summer transfer targets.
Liverpool are understood to be keen to bolster their defence with Virgil van Dijk tied to a new contract but well into his thirties and England Under-21 international Jarell Quansah potentially on the move away from Anfield.
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi is believed to be their preferred acquisition to join Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez as manager Arne Slot’s options in the centre of Liverpool’s defence.
The Reds are making progress, according to reporting by TEAMtalk.
“Liverpool are very close to reaching an agreement with the player on personal terms, a key step before starting formal talks with Crystal Palace,” writes Rudy Galetti.
24-year-old Guehi has played 132 times in the Premier League for Palace and established himself as one of the league’s top centre-backs in the past couple of years.
He stayed at Selhurst Park despite persistent interest from Newcastle United last summer but it looks likely he will now depart with the champions going all in to get their man.
Guehi only has a year left on his Palace contract and Caught Offside reports that he ‘is understood to be open’ to a Liverpool switch in the current transfer window.
Arsenal and Manchester United have been linked but Liverpool are readying an official approach to the Eagles with an agreement between Guehi and the Reds all but done.
Guehi replaced Joel Ward as Palace’s captain last year in the wake of Newcastle’s pursuit. The former Chelsea junior had established himself in Gareth Southgate’s England set-up.
He’s collected 23 caps since making his international debut in March 2022. He played the entirety of England’s Euro 2024 campaign with the exception of the quarter-final against Switzerland, for which he was suspended.
But Liverpool’s interest most reflects Guehi’s success and leadership in an ever-improving Palace team who won their first major silverware by defeating Manchester City in last month’s FA Cup final, making Guehi the only man in the club’s history (along with Ward) to lift a trophy.
If they can get the deal over the line, the Reds will acquire a Premier League defender with top-level experience beyond his years and a natural heir to the captaincy of Van Dijk, with whom he could find himself playing on the opening night of next season.
He’ll take some replacing for Palace, which could be the persuasion they need to come to an agreement with Liverpool once a formal approach is made.
Palace chairman Steve Parish has been clear that Guehi won’t be going on the cheap this summer even if it means losing him on a free transfer at the end of his contract in 2026.
With a new centre-back at the top of the shopping list if Guehi leaves, holding out for the appropriate fee would be one of Palace’s smartest moves available.