Liverpool open talks with Palace over Marc Guéhi deal – sources

Liverpool have opened talks with Crystal Palace to sign centre-back Marc Guéhi, with the south London club expecting a fee of around £30 million ($41m) plus £5m in add-ons, sources have told ESPN.

The Premier League champions are in the market for defensive reinforcements following the departure of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, while Joe Gomez is sidelined with a minor injury.

Guéhi has a year left on his Palace contract and chairman Steve Parish admitted earlier this week they could be forced to let him go this summer.

“Yes. I mean, we’d have to, of course,” Parish said when asked if they would listen to offers for Guéhi.

“For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it’s a problem. We had one bid [last summer] but Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham] and we couldn’t afford to lose both defenders.

“We had another bid in January but that was a difficult situation as well. The player had a point of view on that one. We’ll have to see what happens but it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind.

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“As far as people being here or not being here, if it’s the right decision for the club and for them — nobody can make anyone go — then there will be some changes, but we have to make smart ones.”

Guéhi joined Palace in 2021 having progressed through Chelsea’s academy and has since gone on to establish himself in England squad.

A source told ESPN Liverpool are also interested in 18-year-old Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni, who is also on the radar of Inter Milan.