Liverpool ‘reignite talks’ for Prem star but Reds are ‘really serious’ about alternative transfer
Liverpool are set to begin fresh talks with Crystal Palace over a deal to sign Marc Guehi this summer, according to reports.
The Reds have already made big strides in the transfer market with six players signed, including big-name deals for Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike.
Arne Slot has the full backing of the Liverpool board this summer after the Dutchman won the Premier League title in his first season as head coach at Anfield.
The Reds are still looking for a new centre-back to compete with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate next season, while they made a £110m bid for Alexander Isak and are still hoping to sign him despite Newcastle rejecting their offer.
Crystal Palace’s Guehi, who is in the final year of his contract, has been the main centre-back linked with a move to Liverpool but the Reds are determined not to pay the £45m that the Eagles are looking for.
Speaking recently, former Manchester United and Tottenham scout Mick Brown – who is still well-connected in the Premier League – insisted that Guehi wants to move to Liverpool over Newcastle United.
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Brown told Football Insider: “Newcastle are looking to bring in a new defender.
“I know most of their focus is on a striker with the Isak situation at the moment, but they’ve been after a centre-back since last summer when they missed out on Guehi. They messed about with his valuation last year and that deal fell through.
“From what I hear, that interest in Guehi is still there, but he wants the Liverpool move. So Newcastle have been looking at other options, including [Jan Paul] Van Hecke from Brighton.”
And now the Daily Mail claim that Liverpool are ‘set to reignite talks’ with Crystal Palace over Guehi with the Reds ‘in the market for a new centre back after Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen left them with just three senior options in that position’.
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But the Reds could end up turning to Parma youngster Giovanni Leoni instead with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing Liverpool’s interest earlier this week.
Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Giovanni Leoni is very well liked at Liverpool. He’s highly regarded because he’s one of the most promising young centre-backs currently around.
“Everyone really likes Leoni, we know about Inter [and] Juve. Really all the big clubs have made moves for Leoni to understand the situation. But to date no one is advanced, concrete negotiations with Parma. They still hope to keep the player.
“It’s clear that if Liverpool were to decide on Leoni, that would change everything. It would be difficult for others to compete. They are looking for a young centre-back and he is on their shortlist. However, it’s not an advanced or finalised deal with an offer on the table, so patience will be needed.”
And now Italian publication Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) claims that the Premier League champions are ‘really serious’ about signing Leoni and tell clubs to ‘watch out for Liverpool’ in the race to sign the 18-year-old.
