Liverpool gatecrash £50m Man Utd move for Prem’s most wanted defender, with Arsenal, Tottenham also derailed
Liverpool have joined the all-star cast of clubs chasing the Premier League’s most in-demand defender who’ll cost around £50m to sign, per reports.
A midfield overhaul is expected to dominate the headlines at Anfield this summer. To that end, a trusted source in Argentina has declared “Alexis Mac Allister is going to be a Liverpool player”.
However, the arrivals won’t necessarily be limited to the engine room, with Fabrizio Romano previously reporting a high profile centre-back and a back-up right-back are wanted.
Regarding the centre-half pursuit, the Daily Mail bring news of Liverpool throwing their name in the hat for Crystal Palace ace, Marc Guehi.
The 22-year-old was an £18m signing when plucked from Chelsea two years ago. Guehi has since formed a superb pairing with Joachim Andersen and has been a mainstay in the Eagles’ backline.
Guehi’s stellar performances at club level have also thrust him into the plans of Gareth Southgate and England. Guehi has earned three caps thus far since making his senior debut in 2022.
However, his commanding displays have not gone unnoticed, with the Evening Standard recently reporting both Arsenal and Tottenham like what they’ve seen.
Man Utd too have been linked, with French outlet FootMercato recently detailing Erik ten Hag’s interest in the player.
All three of those sides are eyeing reinforcements at centre-half for one reason or another this summer.
Arsenal’s season capitulated when the now-transfer listed Rob Holding was forced to deputise for the injured William Saliba. Spurs have looked worryingly sub-standard at the back all year, while Man Utd are open to replacing Harry Maguire.
However, according to the Daily Mail, all three sides could be torpedoed by Liverpool. The newspaper report the Reds have joined Guehi’s congested lengthy list of admirers.
Whether Liverpool can land a blow on their traditional ‘big six’ rivals and bring Guehi to Anfield will hinge on how their midfield revamp goes.
New additions in that area of the pitch will continue to take precedence first. However, if multiple moves – such as the one for Mac Allister – can be wrapped up early and without overpaying, a move for Guehi will then come into focus.
Alternatively, if the midfield rebuild drags on and Liverpool spend more than they’d hoped, it’s acknowledged paying Guehi’s £50m valuation may be beyond them this summer.
In that scenario, Liverpool are unlikely to get a second chance at securing the transfer given who else is courting the player.
FootMercato claimed ‘Crystal Palace is not against parting with [Guehi] and will not retain [him]’ – providing suitable offers are lodged, of course.
Taking that at face value and factoring in the financial clout of his other suitors, it looks certain Guehi will be playing for a team other than Crystal Palace next season.
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