Liverpool dealt blow as ‘confident’ Real Madrid ‘making progress’ with deal to sign £44m PL star
According to reports, Liverpool face missing out on a top transfer target as Real Madrid have ‘taken the lead’ for a signing and they are ‘making progress’.
Real Madrid got one over Liverpool in the summer as they acquired Trent Alexander-Arnold ahead of the expiry of his last contract at Anfield.
The Spanish giants could repeat that trick next summer as they are linked with Ibrahima Konate as they search for a new centre-back, with Crystal Palace standout Marc Guehi another target.
Guehi has sparkled for Crystal Palace and England in recent years as he’s cemented himself as one of the best centre-backs in Europe.
The 25-year-old has outgrown Palace and he came close to joining Liverpool in the summer, though a deal collapsed on deadline day.
Due to his contract situation, Guehi was available for a cut-price fee and Liverpool agreed on a deal worth £35m with Crystal Palace, who decided to pull the plug at the last-minute as they failed to land a suitable replacement.
This was a blow for Liverpool as it leaves them short on options at centre-back and they face missing out on Guehi in 2026.
It has been suggested that they remain interested in Guehi, but European sides have an advantage over Liverpool as they can reach a pre-contract agreement from January onwards.
In recent days, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan have been linked with Guehi, but a report from Spanish outlet Fichajes claims Real Madrid have ‘taken the lead’ for his signature and they are ‘confident’ of signing him after ‘making steady progress’.
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Palace are said to have ‘accepted its fate’ that they will lose Guehi next year, while Real Madrid are ‘preparing to sign him’ on a free transfer.
The report adds:
‘Real Madrid are closely monitoring the situation of Marc Guehi, a Crystal Palace defender who could join the club for free in 2026.
‘The Madrid club has been following the English centre-back for some time and plans to sign him without paying a transfer fee, taking advantage of the fact that his contract ends at the end of next season.’
Liverpool have been linked with potential alternatives, including Bayern Munich’s Dayot Upamecano. However, Emile Heskey has explained why he thinks Guehi would be the better signing.
“He’s solid, Dayot Upamecano. I would, though, prefer a defender who has played in the Premier League already and who understands English football,” Heskey said.
“Right now, in the middle of the season, if you pull a defender from a different league you might not know what you’ll get. So for me, Guehi would be the better option. Whether they can get Guehi is interesting.”
