Liverpool will not pursue any other central defenders this summer if they fail to secure Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi. The England international has been a primary target for most of the transfer window.
Arne Slot’s team has strengthened their attacking options with signings like Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, and they are still pursuing Alexander Isak, while also adding full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. However, Guehi remains a key interest for Liverpool, especially given he has less than a year left on his Palace contract, making him available for less than his true market value.
Though Guehi could leave on a free transfer next summer, Liverpool may not want to wait that long. Despite this, Palace continue to demand around £40 million for the 25-year-old defender.
If Liverpool can’t complete the Guehi transfer, they reportedly won’t look to add any other central defenders this summer.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool have no backup plan if the deal for Guehi falls through, which aligns with their usual approach of not signing alternative targets if their primary target isn’t available. This was also the case when they signed Virgil van Dijk in January 2018, after missing out on him the previous summer. The situation with Guehi appears to be similar.
Liverpool’s board views this summer as an ideal chance to sign the England defender, with his contract status giving them some leverage to negotiate Palace down, who previously rejected a bid exceeding £70 million from Newcastle, according to Chronicle Live.
With Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez, and Giovanni Leoni—a recent £26 million signing from Parma—already in the squad, Liverpool are unlikely to seek another central defender if they fail to land Guehi.
This stance remains firm despite Gomez’s injury history and Konate’s uncertain future, as his contract expires next summer. Real Madrid have reportedly shown interest in Konate, potentially planning a move once he becomes a free agent. For now, Konate is expected to remain Van Dijk’s defensive partner unless Leoni can challenge for that spot.
Standing at 6ft 5in, the 18-year-old Leoni, who is left-footed, is considered a long-term successor to Van Dijk.
Slot has been impressed with Leoni since his arrival. The Dutch manager commented: “He’s a promising player, as you’d expect from most Italians. He’s trained with us a few times now, and for an 18-year-old, he’s already quite mature. He fits in with the team as if he’s been here much longer. He’s tall, quick, and comfortable on the ball. There’s a good reason we paid what we did — we see him as a bright prospect.”
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