Liverpool’s Pursuit of Marc Guehi Heats Up: Record Bid Expected Following Intense Scouting Mission

Live update: Liverpool’s pursuit of a central defender this summer is gaining momentum, with Marc Guehi emerging as a top target. However, complications in a parallel transfer saga involving Crystal Palace could delay or even derail the move.

Liverpool has been eyeing a central defender for some time—since last summer, in fact. While the renewal of Virgil van Dijk’s contract eased immediate urgency, the potential sale of Jarell Quansah is expected to push Liverpool back into the market. Van Dijk, who turns 34 next month, means succession planning remains crucial, especially with Ibrahima Konate entering the final year of his contract, raising doubts over his future at Anfield.

Meanwhile, Joe Gomez, celebrating his 10-year anniversary at Liverpool, has shown his commitment to the club, but injuries have limited his impact. Liverpool still needs to strengthen its center-back options to ensure squad depth and quality.

That’s where Marc Guehi comes into the picture. The 24-year-old Crystal Palace defender has impressed consistently in the Premier League, and Liverpool sees him as a viable and affordable option. Guehi is in the final year of his contract and has reportedly made it clear he won’t extend. This puts pressure on Crystal Palace to sell now or risk losing him on a free next summer.

Yet, Palace isn’t expected to simply cave. Liverpool’s recent contract saga, which saw star players Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah sign extensions while Trent Alexander-Arnold left for a comparatively small fee, serves as a cautionary tale.

Crystal Palace has been actively scouting potential replacements, focusing heavily on Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon. But here lies the snag: a significant valuation gap exists between the two clubs.

Palace would need to break its transfer record to land Diomande—an amount previously set when signing Christian Benteke from Liverpool for $43.5 million (£32 million) back in 2016. Sporting, however, values Diomande closer to $69 million (£51 million), making negotiations far from straightforward.

This stalemate means Palace may hesitate to sell Guehi until they secure their target, creating a bottleneck in the transfer chain. Even if a deal proceeds, Liverpool risks facing inflated fees for Guehi, as Palace looks to cover costs from a potential Diomande purchase.

It’s worth noting a $95 million (£70 million) bid from Spurs for Guehi was rejected in January, but Liverpool hopes to agree on a figure closer to $54 million (£40 million).

In this delicate balancing act, Palace doesn’t hold all the leverage—losing Guehi for free next summer remains a genuine threat. Still, the longer Sporting holds firm on Diomande, the more Liverpool might consider shifting focus elsewhere.

This transfer saga is far from over. We’ll keep you updated live as it unfolds.