The Liverpool and Crystal Palace swap deal that could be another Richard Hughes masterstroke

There have been umpteen apologies on social media to Liverpool’s sporting director.

As the Reds’ summer transfer window transpires, the beg-pardons that Richard Hughes has received have been plentiful. For some reason, there seemed to be a sections of supporters who thought Liverpool’s recruitment guru sat in his office at the AXA Training Centre for months on end twiddling his thumbs and turning up for matches.

Granted, it was a subdued first summer for Hughes when he arrived from AFC Bournemouth in 2024 in terms of signings. Although he helped appoint Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, only Federico Chiesa joined the squad, while a deal was struck for Giorgi Mamanardshvili from Valencia a year in advance.

Granted, Martin Zubimendi was targeted but he could not be persuaded to leave his boyhood club Real Sociedad. A potential move for Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United was also explored before the Premier League profit and sustainability deadline, but the Magpies managed to sell alternative players. Otherwise, there was little else for Hughes to be judged on.

It probably didn’t help that his predecessors were among the best in the business and set a lofty bar. Michael Edwards became a cult figure during his time in the role, bringing in the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah, Alisson Becker and Sadio Mane. Julian Ward’s period lasted a year but he spearheaded the arrival of Luis Diaz. And while Jorg Schmadtke was only an interim sporting director for six months, he oversaw four midfielder signings in Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo. The former trio made up Slot’s favoured midfield as Liverpool cruised to the Premier League title in his first season in the hot seat.

Busy summer for Liverpool

But despite the Reds not even officially starting their preparations ahead of defending the crown, the opinion of Hughes has switched. He is overseeing a transfer window Kopites that Kopites yearned for - and more.

It was always expected that Liverpool would improve both full-back roles. It had been known for months before an official announcement that Trent Alexander-Arnold would be leaving at the end of his deal. He has been replaced by Jeremie Frimpong in a deal worth £29 million. On the left-hand side, Milos Kerkez’s expected move to Liverpool has been one of the worst-kept secrets in football. The player himself has dropped plenty of hints. Kerkez will arrive to add competition and eventually replace Andy Robertson.

The shock signing no-one expected has been Florian Wirtz. But Hughes has engineered the arrival of one of Europe’s top prospects for a club-record £100 million. And another Anfield arrival could be Marc Guehi.

Centre-back is another area of Slot’s side that fans wished would be strengthened. Liverpool were heavily reliant on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate throughout 2024-25.

Guehi has underlined he’s among the best the Premier League has to offer in his four years at Crystal Palace. The highlight was last season when he captained the Eagles to FA Cup glory. But with 12 months on his current Selhurst Park deal, a departure is highly possible. Palace may want to cash in, having turned down up to £65 million from Newcastle United last summer. Guehi, meanwhile, may feel he’s ready for the next step. With the World Cup taking place in 2026, playing for a team in the Champions League could cement his place of being first choice in Thomas Tuchel’s side.

Although Guehi has just a year remaining on his current contract, Palace will know his value. Chairman Steve Parish drives a hard bargain and is known to be astute at the negotiation table. Last summer, the Eagles forced Fulham to pay up to £30 million for Joachim Andersen. Granted, Andersen had two years on his contract but was aged 28 and not as important of a player as Guehi.

Palace will know what Guehi's worth and will try to stick to it. Although losing him on a free in a year's time is a risk, they will undoubtedly have had their £18 million worth out of him. With a maiden European campaign to ensue, the club will bank additional revenue that will also help offset some lose of potential earnings.

However, Liverpool have a bargaining chip that they could use to help get the price down. Already, we are seeing Florian Wirtz heading to Merseyside from Bayer Leverkusen for up to £116 million and Jarell Quansah heading in the opposite direction for as much as £35 million. Effectively, the Reds will pay £81 million for Wirtz if all clauses are met.

And a similar action could happen with Palace. Joe Gomez would be the obvious player to head to South London but Liverpool need him for defensive competition and cover, especially with Quansah departing for Germany. Gomez is capable of playing right across the rearguard, is a popular figure and a loyal 10-year servant.

Potential makeweight

However, the Reds have a player who the Eagles hold an interest in. Glasner's outfit made a £15 million bid for Ben Doak in the January transfer window but that was rejected.

Doak is highly regarded by Liverpool. Since arriving from Celtic in 2022, he has made promising progress. Handed his debut aged 16, he has made 12 senior appearances for the Reds. Last season, he was sent on loan to Championship club Middlesbrough to gain regular senior minutes.

Doak was enjoying a good spell on Teeside, recording three goals and seven assists in 24 games before suffering a season-ending injury at the end of January. At the time, Boro were in play-off contention and his absence was a blow.

Sections of supporters have had high hopes for Doak. He's produced some electric cameos and has caught the eye when representing Scotland. Aged only 19, he is several years away from hitting his peak. There are some flaws still in his game, the main one being a lack of end product, but that will develop with experience.

However, Liverpool have to assess whether he will become a first-team player down the line. With Salah signing a deal until 2027, there's scant chance of Doak breaking into Slot's team on the right wing. The Reds will already have started the assessment as to whether Doak can be Salah's heir apparent or they'll need to find a replacement when the Egyptian King does bring the curtain down on his sparkling Anfield career.

If Liverpool feel that Doak is not going to be the answer then cashing in this summer would help. Granted, the Reds might have to drop their asking price of £30 million slightly to get Palace to the table. But with the Eagles in the Europa League, they need to strengthen their attacking options and Doak would have the opportunity to play regular Premier League football regularly. That will be a big appeal, with Scotland hoping to book their berth at the World Cup.

From a profit and sustainability perspective, Liverpool would benefit profusely. Doak cost just £600,000 and the Reds would see that figure increase manifold. Hughes is already garnering plenty of plaudits for the deals he’s conducting at Liverpool this summer. Using Doak as a makeweight for Guehi could suit all parties involved.