Crunch time coming for Marc Guehi as Liverpool prepare bid and key deal slots into place

Liverpool could be just days away from submitting an official bid for Marc Guehi, and while hopes of prising the star away from Crystal Palace star away in January have been fuelled by the Eagles identifying his replacement, two top European sides remain determined to beat the Reds to the punch.

Guehi was on the cusp of signing for Liverpool on transfer deadline day on September 1 in a real sliding doors moment for the player and club. With a £35m fee agreed and with the player having already recorded his farewell message to the Eagles, the south London club decided to pull the plug on the transfer with hours to spare after failing to land a replacement of their own.

Some three months down the line, Liverpool interest in Guehi has not faded and, if anything, has accelerated off the back of a season-ending injury to Giovanni Leoni and the error-strewn form of Ibrahima Konate, who continues to drag his feet over a new deal at Anfield.

And with Guehi making it clear he won’t be signing a new deal at Selhurst Park, the January window represents the last chance that the Eagles have of getting a fee for the player, who will become a free agent from July 1, 2026.

In light of that, multiple reports in recent weeks have suggested will re-launch their bid to sign Guehi ahead of the January window and knowing his signing could help rescue their season, which currently looks on the precipice of falling apart.

According to Football Insider, a sizeable Liverpool offer for Guehi in January will give ‘a massive dilemma’ as to whether to cash in.

And after our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, revealed last week that the Reds’ bid will likely be in the £25m to £30m bracket, FI’s report claims the Palace board will be left with a straight choice: either accept the bid or ‘throw a big chunk of cash down the drain’.

While there is a strong acceptance that the Eagles are a significantly better side with him in, the fact we can also reveal how an Atalanta star is now being lined up as a replacement will give the Reds further encouragement…

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Palace identify Guehi replacement as Kane makes Bayern plan

The man in question is Odilon Kossounou; a player we understand is fast emerging as Oliver Glasner’s No.1 option to step into Guehi’s sizeable shoes at Selhurst Park.

Sources can reveal he is being watched closely by Palace ahead of a possible move next year.

The 24-year-old won the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 campaign before joining Atalanta on loan with an option to buy.

Atalanta would ultimately sign the 6ft 3in centre-back for €20m last summer, though it might not be long before Kossounou is on the move once again.

Palace are working hard and doing their due diligence on prospective options to replace Guehi heading into 2026. Both Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande and Burnley’s Maxime Esteve are two other names under consideration, both of whom fit a similar profile to their captain.

However, it is Kossounou who currently looks the preferred pick, though Glasner has also underlined to the Eagles that, irrespective of when that deal goes through, he does not want to lose Guehi mid-season.

In the meantime, German journalists Philipp Kessler and Vinzent Tschirpke have both reported that England captain Harry Kane is doing all in his power to try and convince Guehi to join him at Bayern Munich next summer.

The 26-year-old centre-half is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with overseas sides from January 1, with the Bundesliga champions already having held talks with Guehi’s representatives.

Fletcher, however, also revealed last week that Barcelona are not out of the running yet either, having made two formal approaches to his representatives in the past fortnight.

Latest Liverpool news: Salah exit exclusive; Slot sack latest

In other massive Liverpool news, we can exclusively reveal that Mo Salah’s camp are ready to ask the Merseysiders to come to a mutual termination over his contract, potentially as soon as January, while a mind-blowing offer is soon expected to land on the Egyptian’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, two top sources have revealed the stunning stance Liverpool and their key decision-makers have adopted on the idea of sacking Arne Slot amid his feud with Salah.

Elsewhere, Jamie Carragher’s impassioned rant about Salah on Monday Night Football may have gone down well with some Reds fans, though one aspect of his criticism only served to prove the winger right.

Finally, the manager of Liverpool’s opponents tonight, Inter Milan’s Cristian Chivu, has offered a cold 17-word response to the drama engulfing Slot, Salah and Liverpool right now.