Liverpool could repeat Thiago Alcantara trick to complete next summer signing
Liverpool are interested in signing Crystal Palace’s Mar Guehi although it will come down to the price tag.
It will be a transfer window to remember. Regardless of what ensues, it’s fair to say that Kopites will remember the summer of 2025.
It will be etched into the memory that after Liverpool claimed the Premier League title, a busy period ensued. Arne Slot is prepared to have somewhat of an overhaul of his squad to ensure that the the Reds give themselves the best chance of defending their crown.
A club-record fee of £100 million was splashed out on Florian Wirtz. Jeremie Frimpoing swiftly replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Milos Kerkez is closing in on a move to Anfield. And there is the possibility of Marc Guehi completing a switch to Merseyside.
Guehi is regarded as one of the premium centre-backs in the Premier League. He has made tremendous progress since signing for Crystal Palace for £18 million in 2021. Chelsea must regret their decision to sell. Guehi is now an England regular, having started the Euro 2024 final loss to Spain, and wrote himself into Palace history in May. He captained the Eagles to their first major trophy with a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
But Guehi could look to depart this summer. With a year left on his contract, there are suggestions he has no intentions of penning fresh terms at Selhurst Park. And with Liverpool selling Jarell Quansah for £35 million to Bayer Leverkusen, they now need to add to their department.
Guehi ticks plenty of boxes when it comes to Liverpool’s recruitment strategy. He is only just entering his peak years and has more than 200 senior games under his belt - the majority in the Premier League. The only sticking point could be the price tag.
Liverpool will not be held to ransom. Sporting director Richard Hughes will already know that Palace chairman Steve Parish is a tough negotiator. And given that the Eagles would not budge on their valuation last summer when Newcastle United offered £65 million and Tottenham Hotspur offered £70 million on January transfer deadline day, the South London club may feel Guehi's price has not dropped too much despite his contractual situation.
Palace will be in Europe for the first time in the 2024-25 season. Given that Tottenham, who finished 17th in the Premier League, won the Europa League last term then what’s to say Palace can't go deep in the competition? Winning the tournament earns qualification for the Champions League, which would be astronomical for the Eagles. In addition, competing in the Europa League in its own right brings additional revenue to the Selhurst Park coffers from prize money, broadcasting and match days.
Liverpool will have a limit to what they're prepared to pay. Some supporters may feel that it might be worth waiting a year to try to sign Guehi on a free transfer if he were prepared to wait.
But the Reds have shown they're willing to spend on players with 12 months remaining on their deal. In 2017, Liverpool splashed out a fee of £40 million to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal. Oxlade-Chamberlain had interest from Chelsea, who were the current Premier League champions. But as the Reds prepared for life back in the Champions League, he opted to turn down a new contract at the Gunners in favour of a move to Anfield.
While Oxlade-Chamberlain's time at Liverpool was blighted by injury, his performances in his maiden campaign were magnificent. A cruel ACL blow in the Champions League semi-final against AS Roma impacted the England international badly and he never quite got back on track. Still, Oxlade-Chamberlain was part of a Liverpool team that won six major trophies, including the club’s sixth European Cup and 19th league title.
Another player whose time was plagued by fitness problems at Liverpool was Thiago Alcantara. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most talented players to don the red shirt in the modern era. When the Reds signed Thiago in 2020, it was very much against the club’s usual model as he was aged 29. Liverpool took the opportunity as he also had only a year left on his Bayern Munich agreement and paid £20 million.
If Liverpool feel it’s worth the money then they have proven that they would be prepared to splash out despite Guehi’s contract ticking down.