Dream move for Liverpool as ideal target picks Reds over Man City – ready for instant first-team role
A well-placed source at The Athletic claims a player strongly wanted by both Liverpool and Manchester City has made Liverpool his preferred destination, although Arsenal remain in the picture.
Each year, several of England’s elite clubs often find themselves chasing the same standout talent. That was the case with Antoine Semenyo before Manchester City won that battle, but Pep Guardiola’s side may not enjoy the same success with Marc Guehi.
The Crystal Palace centre-back is expected to leave Selhurst Park at some point in 2026, with City keen to fast-track his exit by moving for him in the January window.
Guehi is also attracting serious interest from abroad, most notably from Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, closer to home, Liverpool and Arsenal are City’s main competitors, with both clubs preferring to wait until the end of the season to sign him on a free.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, who closely follows Manchester City, Guehi is leaning towards Liverpool rather than City.
Lee explained:
“I was told by someone who understands what’s happening at City – and probably Palace too – that Guehi wants to stay until the summer, and in any case, he prefers Liverpool over City.”
Lee also referenced Arsenal’s involvement, suggesting Liverpool may still face competition from the Gunners even if City drop out of the race.
He added:
“Someone else messaged me on X – someone who’s very reliable on other clubs – and said Guehi wants to stay until the summer and favours Liverpool and Arsenal. I hadn’t heard Arsenal mentioned before, but it lines up with what I was told the night before.”
Guehi tipped for instant role at Liverpool
If Liverpool secure Guehi’s signature, the expectation is that he would immediately slot in alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of defence.
Ibrahima Konaté is out of contract in the summer and, even if he stays, he has been among Liverpool’s weakest performers this season. From Arne Slot’s perspective, a lack of credible alternatives has meant Konaté has kept his place despite underwhelming displays.
Giovanni Leoni is currently sidelined with an ACL injury, while Joe Gomez, when fit, is often used as cover at right-back. With Conor Bradley ruled out for the season following knee surgery, Gomez is likely to continue competing with Jeremie Frimpong on the right, leaving Konaté largely undroppable regardless of form.
Strengthening at centre-back is clearly a priority for Liverpool heading into 2026, and the club have already begun addressing this by completing a triple signing to reinforce their academy setup.
Other Liverpool transfer updates
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande – whom TEAMtalk understands Liverpool see as a potential long-term successor to Mohamed Salah – has openly expressed his desire to join the Reds.
Meanwhile, talks between Liverpool and Juventus are ongoing over a possible return to Italy for Federico Chiesa. Fresh details following Fabrizio Romano’s latest update suggest the move may carry warning signs for the winger, with one particular development raising concerns.