Liverpool to play Marc Guehi transfer waiting game as Crystal Palace face two options

Liverpool to play Marc Guehi transfer waiting game as Crystal Palace face two options

A closer look at Liverpool's interest in Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who is now inside the final 12 months of his contract at Selhurst Park

Liverpool are reportedly in talks over a potential transfer for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. (Image: Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images )

As Marc Guehi enters the final 12 months of his Crystal Palace terms at the start of July, Liverpool's waiting game goes on. And the major question regarding the Reds' deliberation over the England international is simply how long it continues before their move is made.

England international Guehi has reportedly made it clear he won't countenance a new contract with the Londoners, leaving them with two options.

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Plan A for chairman Steve Parish and manager Oliver Glasner will be to keep Guehi on board and get one more season out of his before he walks away just before his 26th birthday as a free agent. For the superclubs of the Premier League - those whose annual revenues sit just under the billion pound mark - that's a prospect most are comfortable with.

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None more so than Liverpool themselves, who have been happy to squeeze a final year out of around a half dozen prominent players before allowing them to depart as free agents.

From Emre Can to Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner and Roberto Firmino, the Reds have preferred to see the players retain their value through performances on the pitch rather than leave for a cut-price fee when the last 12 months are in sight. The same also applies to Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Helping the team qualify for the Champions League is more valuable for the club than a departure, when a more expensive and hastily-arranged replacement might be needed.

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For Crystal Palace, however, they might not enjoy a similar luxury and having turned down four bids from Newcastle last summer for club captain Guehi at around the £60m mark, the Eagles might be forced into Plan B, which is to bring their asking price down significantly if they are to receive any sort of fee for the 24-year-old.

It's unclear at this stage if the FA Cup holders will even be able to represent the Premier League in next season's Europa League as the issue around owner John Textor, who also co-owns French club Lyon, ongoing. The American has agreed to sell his 44% stake in Palace in a bid to help their case but their fate, at the time of writing is unknown.

UEFA's multi-club ownership rules prevents teams under the same ownership from competing in the same European competition, leaving Palace in limbo as things stand.

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The Europa League is nowhere near as lucrative as the more glamorous Champions League but the lack of European football, in a general sense, will be considered a blow for Palace's hopes of retaining Guehi.

While a lack of Europe will impact the balance sheets, Guehi will likely also be desperate to experience some form of continental action at club level as he looks to build on a career that has taken him to the England setup while in south London.

With Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate firmly established as the first choice pairing at Anfield, and Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo there for cover, Liverpool insist they are relaxed over their pursuit of a new centre-back as it stands.

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Having shown interest in Levi Colwill, Leny Yoro and Dean Huijsen in the last three summer windows, to varying extents, the profile of a younger defender is still very much part of the plan inside Anfield. Guehi, who turns 25 on July 13, doesn't necessarily fit that bill.

That, though, does not mean Liverpool's interest isn't serious. The crux of a potential move is likely to come in how flexible Palace are when it comes to their asking price. Deciding to retain their skipper for the forthcoming campaign will see them almost certainly lose a valuable asset for nothing in a year's time.

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For clubs like Liverpool, who might yet see a similar fate develop over Konate, that is a regrettable outcome. For Palace, such a financial hit could be massive, particularly given they have already made signing £40m Ousmane Diomande from Sporting a priority. A deal for the Ivory Coast international at Selhurst Park may even be the catalyst for Palace to put their club captain in the shop window.

That's likely why the Reds are content to wait just now. The prospect of taking their interest to the wire in the summer transfer window is now in play and Guehi's value drops by the week now he is into the final year. By late August, he could be significantly cheaper than he is as of July 1.

In the same way that Real Madrid played the long game over their pursuit of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool might feel they can do likewise and the ECHO was recently informed that Guehi would jump at the chance to join the champions.

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Adding a fourth centre-back has to be part of the grander plan for what has already been a record-spending summer at Anfield under sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot. But, for now, that waiting game goes on and Palace's hand gets weaker by the day.

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