Liverpool are ready to offer Crystal Palace a swap deal plus cash involving Ben Doak in an attempt to land England international Marc Guehi.
Softfootball understands that The Reds remain keen on strengthening their defence with the signing of Guehi this summer, and Doak could be a useful tool in their negotiations.
According to The Guardian, Palace had expressed an interest in signing Doak from Liverpool back in January.
Palace won’t want to lose a key player like Guehi, but it’s looking like a long summer for the Eagles as they also face interest from Arsenal in another star player, Eberechi Eze.
Liverpool already has a very strong defence, and recently tied down club captain Virgil van Dijk to a new contract.
At the same time, however, there could be room to add someone like Guehi as well, with Ibrahima Konate now in the final year of his LFC deal.
According to emerging reports, Konate had turned down a new contract offer from the Merseyside giants, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain keen to snap up the France international if he becomes available.
If Liverpool can’t keep Konate, then it’s easy to see how Guehi could be an ideal replacement alongside Van Dijk at the back.
Liverpool could see the England international, who has 23 senior caps under his belt, as someone to considerably boost their defensive department. He has proved that he can perform at the top level and is still relatively young. The Ivory Coast-born man may have be identified as a possible long-term replacement for Van Dijk, who isn’t getting any younger.
Guehi rose up through Chelsea’s academy and was a regular for the Blues at various youth levels. He went on to play two games for their first team, as well as having a couple of loan spells away in the Football League at Swansea City to get some experience under his belt. Crystal Palace then came calling permanently in 2021.
Recall that Softfootball reported earlier that UEFA has issued an update on Crystal Palace being banned from Europe next season. According to the reports, Crystal Palace’s spot in the 2025/26 Europa League might be in doubt due to the threat of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules, putting their qualification in limbo.
That’s because Palace co-owner John Textor also co-owns French side Lyon, whose sixth-place Ligue 1 finish meant they too had qualified for the Europa League, with UEFA rules preventing teams under the same ownership from competing in the same European competitions.
