‘Liverpool or bust’ as insider reveals ‘very good’ Tottenham ‘offer’ to £45m star

Marc Guehi has made up his mind to join Liverpool despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur, according to a source, as a former Premier League scout believes that Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have been given an ultimatum over the Crystal Palace defender.

Guehi is out of contract at Palace at the end of the season and is the subject of interest from Tottenham and Liverpool in the summer transfer window. While Liverpool, who won the Premier League title last season, have been monitoring Guehi all throughout the summer, in recent days, Europa League winners Tottenham have come into the equation.

Although Liverpool have signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma, the Reds are on the hunt for another centre-back, especially with Jarell Quansah having left for Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer and Ibrahima Konate out of contract at the end of the season.

Liverpool are in talks with Palace over Guehi, who does not want to sign a new deal with last season’s FA Cup winners.

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Rudy Galetti, reported on July 3 that Guehi has already agreed on personal terms with Liverpool.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that Palace want £45million (€52.1m, $61m) for Guehi, but the Merseyside outfit will not pay more than £40m (€46.3m, $54.2m) including bonuses.

ESPN reported last week that Tottenham are monitoring Guehi, with journalist Paul O’Keefe now revealing that the north London club’s offer to the defender on personal terms is very good.

Palace turned down Tottenham’s bid for Guehi in the middle of last season, and while Thomas Frank’s side are still interested in the 25-year-old, Liverpool are now the club that he wants to join, claims O’Keefe.

O’Keefe said on Last Word on Spurs: “The word from within Palace, my Palace contact, is saying that it’s Liverpool or bust. But he did say that Spurs’ offer to him on personal terms was ‘very, very, very good’.

“But I think it might be a case with Marc that if he doesn’t get his Liverpool move, then he’ll stay the season and see it out, then go on a free.”

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Liverpool get Marc Guehi ‘ultimatum’

While Liverpool and Palace are yet to come to an agreement over a fee, former Manchester United and Tottenham scout Mick Brown believes that the Eagles will make it clear to Reds manager Slot and sporting director Hughes what needs to happen for the transfer to go through.

Brown told Football Insider: “Crystal Palace don’t want to lose both Eze and Guehi. Especially after the season has already started, losing two of their best and most important players would be a significant blow to the manager’s plans.

“If they lose players, of course they can replace them, but replacing both Eze and Guehi with such little time left in the window would be very difficult.

“I understand he’s in the last year of his contract, but Palace are very reluctant to lose him.

“From the outside looking in, I’d expect it would always have been either him or Eze to leave.

“So now that it looks like Eze could be joining Tottenham, I expect Palace will tell Liverpool that there’s no chance of Guehi going anywhere.

“Either that, or they’ll stick with this £40million+ price tag they’ve put on him and give Liverpool the ultimatum of pay up or shut up.

“If it’s going to happen, they need it to happen quickly so they can go and find replacements.

“It won’t be something they let go through on deadline day, that is for certain.”

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POLL: If Liverpool sign Guehi, who should their starting centre-back partnership be next season?