Liverpool are not expected to move for £70m-rated Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi
Liverpool expert David Lynch has told Sports Mole that the club is unlikely to move for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi next summer.
The Reds have been regularly linked with defensive reinforcements in recent years, and their need to bolster their backline could become even more pressing in the coming months with Virgil van Dijk due to be out of contract at the end of this season as things stand.
Guehi was one of the names rumoured to be on the shortlist of possible long-term replacements for the Liverpool captain, but Palace refused to sell the England international for anything less than £70m during the summer.
However, Lynch claims that Liverpool are in the market for a fourth-choice centre-back due to uncertainty over the future of Joe Gomez, rather than looking for a successor to Van Dijk, and so believes that a move for Guehi would not make sense for either party.
Asked whether he thinks Liverpool will move for the Palace man, Lynch told Sports Mole: “If I’m honest, no, just purely on the basis that he was linked a few times over this summer, and every time I asked anyone at Liverpool about that I never really got a warm response on it or any suggestion they’d be in the mix.
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“Part of that was no doubt the fact that his price tag was £70m that they wanted for him last summer from Liverpool as well. You’ve got to say that at the moment, with the centre-half options Liverpool have got, they are looking for someone who will comfortably be the fourth choice.
“It was if Joe Gomez was to leave, which was a possibility this summer, and will probably be a possibility next, as he probably wants to go and play a bit more football. They’re looking for someone to slot in and be that versatile fourth choice in that position, so for Marc Guehi, that move wouldn’t make sense.
“He’s looking to make the move to a big club where he would play regularly. And also, I think profile-wise he’s not a great fit for Liverpool in terms of they prefer the more aerially dominant centre-halves, and stature-wise, he isn’t that. He’s not a Konate, not a Van Dijk, maybe not even a Quansah, in terms of what he puts out in terms of aerial domination.
“So those links, I’m very, very sceptical on, to be honest. Even though his price tag might come down coming into next summer, I’d still be surprised if he is one that Liverpool moved for, because, profile, price tag and the role that he would have at Liverpool just doesn’t really make sense to me, and sources I’ve spoken to have never really given me encouragement on that link. So I’d be surprised if he ends up at Liverpool, to be honest.”
Should Liverpool be in the market for Van Dijk’s successor?
As yet, there has been no significant movement made on the trio of Liverpool star men due to be out of contract this summer – Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
Manager Arne Slot reiterated on Friday that there was no news, although he did suggest that there could be more to say about the subject after the international break – albeit possibly tongue-in-cheek due to the repetitive nature of the questions.
Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah and Gomez are the only recognised centre-backs currently in the squad, and with two of those possibly leaving next summer, Liverpool would need to enter the market for a new defender.
Even if Van Dijk does extend his stay, which the club remain hopeful of, the Dutch colossus is now 33 years old and will be a particularly difficult player to replace given his status as one of the world’s best defenders.
A succession plan would therefore make sense, and Liverpool have been linked with a number of left-sided centre-backs in recent windows, including the likes of Goncalo Inacio, Piero Hincapie, Levi Colwill and Jarrad Branthwaite.
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Deals for Colwill and Branthwaite would be particularly difficult to get over the line due to the reluctance of Chelsea and Everton to sell to one of their rivals, and neither have established themselves as regular England internationals like Guehi has.
At the end of this season, Guehi would also only have one year remaining on his contract at Selhurst Park, meaning that Palace would likely have to lower their £70m asking price from the summer.
Newcastle United and Manchester United were both also credited with an interest in the 24-year-old, but Palace held firm and refused to let him leave unless their demands were met.
Liverpool will have the chance to get another close look at Guehi on Saturday when the Premier League leaders travel to Selhurst Park for the lunchtime kickoff.
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