Liverpool in dreamland as journalist insists 2026 signing is done at £35m DISCOUNT

Liverpool will sign one of the best players in the Premier League for £35m less than they would have paid if sealing the deal last summer, according to a reporter.

Liverpool came within a whisker of landing Crystal Palace and England ace Marc Guehi last summer, with agreements between the clubs and with Guehi ironed out. The Reds had agreed to pay roughly £35m for the centre-back, with Palace also inserting a 10 percent sell-on clause into the terms.

A medical was passed, but Palace pulled the plug on deadline day after failing to sign an adequate replacement.

Brighton’s Igor Julio had been lined up via the loan route but performed a late U-turn and chose West Ham instead. Palace boss Oliver Glasner threatened to quit if Guehi were sold and Palace’s higher-ups understandably caved.

The 25-year-old remained in situ but has not and will not sign an extension at Selhurst Park. Instead, he’ll embark on a new chapter elsewhere when the current campaign ends.

Liverpool’s interest in Guehi maintained, though the player’s camp made it clear they would not give the Reds preferential treatment when fielding enquiries from interested sides.

That opened the door for high-powered suitors to steal a deal away from Liverpool. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are just four clubs to have explored a move.

However, back on November 6, The Daily Mail’s Merseyside correspondent, Lewis Steele, declared Guehi had ‘given his word’ to Liverpool regarding a switch to Anfield next summer.

And according to the latest from Cadena Ser journalist, Bruno Alemany, Guehi to Liverpool next summer is practically a sure thing.

Alemany’s comments came while dissecting Barcelona and Real Madrid’s upcoming transfer plans in the centre-back position.

Guehi was confirmed to be a target of both sides, but Alemany insisted “Liverpool have it pretty much wrapped up.”

Marc Guehi will be one of 2026’s best signings

Liverpool will have to pay a sign-on fee, but from a transfer fee perspective, Crystal Palace will receive nothing from the Reds.

Had Guehi been sold in August, the Eagles would have netted £35m and that deal was only struck at such a low price point because Guehi only had one year remaining on his deal.

In truth, Guehi’s real value is probably double the £35m Liverpool would have paid. Indeed, The BBC confirmed back in 2024 that Newcastle had seen three bids for Guehi rejected, the biggest of which was worth £60m.

Since then, Guehi has established himself as one of the Premier League’s best centre-halves and a guaranteed starter for England.

Many might expect Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba to be the best-performing centre-backs from a statistical standpoint in the Premier League this season. After all, Arsenal boast the league’s meanest defence with just five goals conceded.

But according to FotMob, the centre-back with the highest average weekly rating this term is Sunderland’s Nordi Mukiele (7.56), closely followed by Guehi (7.48).

Gabriel is third, Saliba is tenth, while Virgil van Dijk is twelfth and Ibrahima Konate – the man Guehi would likely displace or replace at Anfield – is not even in the top 20.

More fine showings for the Three Lions on the biggest stage of all at the 2026 World Cup would see Guehi’s transfer value soar even higher.

However, by that point, and if Alemany is correct, Guehi will already be a Liverpool player and Arne Slot’s side won’t have paid a penny in transfer fees.

Latest Liverpool news – Semenyo / Konate

In other news, sources have revealed that Liverpool are “ahead in the race” to sign Antoine Semenyo after learning of the conditions needed for a January transfer – but Tottenham Hotspur are also ready to throw their hat into the ring and cannot be discounted just yet.

Elsewhere, and as Konate’s future at Liverpool continues to hang in the balance, TEAMtalk writers have debated whether Anfield chiefs should do their utmost to keep the Real Madrid target or let him leave, either in January or on a free next summer.