Liverpool have decided to go “all in” to sign Crystal Palace and England star Marc Guehi in January after they “failed” in the summer, according to reports.
Guehi was one of Liverpool’s leading transfer targets this summer window, with the centre-back backing a move to Anfield.
The England international has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs in recent years and could be signed for a reduced fee this summer as he enters the final year of his current contract.
Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur were linked with Guehi’s signature prior to this summer, but Liverpool have emerged as the frontrunners ahead of this season.
However, the Reds were punished for wasting time on Guehi when the deal fell through on deadline day. The two sides agreed a move worth around £35 million, but Palace withdrew from the deal after failing to secure a suitable replacement.
Read: England squad scrapped with no hope of making the World Cup squad
This leaves Liverpool short on centre-back options, so they are likely to remain interested in Guehi for January this year and next summer.
However, Liverpool are making life difficult for themselves as Guehi has been able to reach pre-contractual agreements with overseas clubs since early January, with rumors of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and FC Barcelona also emerging.
Despite this, Football Insider reports that Liverpool are still “working on signing” Guehi ahead of the January deadline, but that “the deal is now more complex”.
There are said to be three reasons for this, including interest from afar and financing the deal after a “failure” in the summer.
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The report explains:
Sources say Liverpool are aware they have made a mistake over the contract and the club will work “with all their might” to sign Gehi in mid-season.
“However, their pursuit is now complicated by strong interest from Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, who are working on a deal to land Guehi next year.” This means that Liverpool are likely to have to pay Guehi a higher salary and an increased agent’s fee in order to get the deal over the line in January. ”
Still, former Liverpool player Don Hutchinson has explained why he thinks his former club will miss out on Guehi.
“When it comes to free agency, everyone will be part of the conversation. Bayern Munich will be part of it, Real Madrid, Barcelona and other clubs will also be part of it,” he insisted.
“If Liverpool are eliminated, there is no guarantee they will qualify for the Champions League and that could be one of Guehi’s wishes when he moves as a free agent.”
“Maybe it’s a culture change or something. He could end up going to Real Madrid and Guehi is a real talent who could go straight to the first team. I’m really concerned that Liverpool missed out on him.”
