Liverpool step up efforts to sign 25-year-old star from Premier League rivals: Reports

Liverpool have accelerated their efforts to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi this summer, according to acclaimed journalist David Ornstein. The Englishman has entered the final year of his contract with the Eagles and hasn't agreed to a new deal yet.

The Reds are keeping a close eye on the situation as they work to improve their backline. The Merseyside club are sweating on the future of Ibrahima Konate, whose contract also runs out in the summer of 2026.

The French defender is yet to sign an extension at Anfield amid interest from Real Madrid. It now appears that Liverpool have identified Guehi as a possible replacement for Konate, although they are yet to submit a bid for the 25-year-old.

The Englishman has been rock-solid at the back for Crystal Palace in recent years, but has no intentions of signing a new deal at Selhurst Park. The Reds are planning to add him to their roster this summer, and have already held talks with the Eagles regarding a move.

Speaking after the Community Shield win over the Reds on Sunday, August 10, Palace chairman Steve Parish suggested that Guehi could leave this year.

“We’d have to (sell if a good offer came in). For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem. We had one bid (last summer) but Joachim (Andersen) went (to Fulham) and we couldn’t afford to lose both defenders,” said Parish.

He continued:

“We had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well. The player had a point of view on that one. We’ll have to see what happens but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.”

Liverpool are yet to sign a replacement for Jarell Quansah, who moved to Bayer Leverkusen this summer in a reported £35m deal.

Are Liverpool interested in Giovanni Leoni?

Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Parma center back Giovanni Leoni, according to The Athletic. However, the Reds are aware that prising the Italian defender away from the Il Tardini won't be a walk in the park.

Leoni is highly rated in the country and appeared 17 times for the Italian club in Serie A last season. The Merseyside club are among a host of clubs eyeing the player with interest at the moment. Liverpool are apparently trying to persuade the 18-year-old to make the move to Anfield this year.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9500 articles for the website, and has garnered close to 21 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Deepungsu Pandit