Liverpool have been handed a further boost in their pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
The Premier League champions’ need for defensive reinforcements was highlighted once again on Sunday as they conceded twice against the Eagles in the Community Shield penalty shootout loss.
It means the Reds have only kept one clean sheet in pre-season and that was the 5-0 thumping of Stoke City in a behind-closed doors friendly at the club’s training ground last month.
Having sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, in addition to Joe Gomez currently out of action due to injury, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is down to just two fit senior central defenders ahead of his side’s opening game of the season against Bournemouth.
Amid talk of signing a replacement for Darwin Nunez, a new central defender is also thought to be a priority for the Reds before the summer transfer window closes.
Liverpool’s hopes of signing Guehi have increased two-fold over the weekend. Newcastle, who had been tipped to revive their interest in the Palace captain, have agreed a deal for AC Milan’s Malick Thiaw with a medical already booked.
Furthermore, Palace chairman Steve Parish has admitted he will sell Guehi if a suitable offer arrives to avoid the risk of losing the England international on a free transfer next summer.
Speaking after the Community Shield triumph, Parish said: “Yes. Of course, for players of that calibre to leave on a free, it is a problem for a football club.
“There is no doubt about it, unfortunately. Last summer, Joachim [Andersen] went, and we couldn’t afford to lose both of them.
“We then had another bid in January, but that was a difficult situation as well. We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.
“The problem in football is that you get to this level where you are fantastic with a lot of mature players in their prime, and you don’t want to be not as good, so then you are tempted to hang onto them.
“That’s your safety net, you’ll be good with those boys and if you can add some around them.
“But in the end, people trade players – it is what football clubs do. If you don’t care about tomorrow and put it all off, then we are a fantastic team.
“If we had four more players, I don’t know what we could achieve. Unfortunately, it is not always as simple as that.
We will just have to see what happens. It needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind
“We have got a lot of outgoings this year because we are paying a lot of transfer fees for players that we have already got.
“If you see the fees, they are just nuts. The money we are paying is crazy. We will have to see. We will do whatever we can.
“We won’t stop working. But as far as people being here or not being here, it depends.
“If it is the right decision for the football club and them – nobody can make anyone go – there will be some changes. But we have got to make smart ones."
