Liverpool ‘making progress’ on next big signing who could dump floundering star out of starting XI

Steve Pearson 19 Aug 2025 12:04 PM

Liverpool are making progress on their next major signing

Liverpool are confident of wrapping up a club-to-club deal for their next major signing and a high profile Reds star could soon be jettisoned out of the starting eleven.

The defending Premier League champions’ ideal end to the summer transfer window is signing Marc Guehi and Alexander Isak. The Reds have agreed personal terms with both players but are yet to strike agreements with Crystal Palace and Newcastle respectively.

Regarding Guehi, the England ace, 25, only wishes to sign for Liverpool if he is to leave Selhurst Park in coming days.

Guehi is in the final year of his contract and won’t sign an extension. As such, Palace are open to selling but want to maximise their profits.

Oliver Glasner’s side are reportedly holding out for £45m. Liverpool, meanwhile, hope to pay less given Guehi can be signed for nothing one year from now.

According to the latest from Sky Sports Switzerland reporter, Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool are finally making progress in their discussions with Palace.

Tavolieri explained: ‘Liverpool are making progress on Marc Guéhi! Having been in talks with Crystal Palace for several weeks, the Reds are confident of concluding the deal.’

Guehi is understood to have reiterated to Palace that he wants to join Liverpool. Tottenham have been linked over the past 48 hours, but it’s Anfield where the centre-back wants to go.

But while a club-to-club agreement is seemingly advancing, Palace have reportedly stressed they want a direct replacement lined up before Guehi’s sale can be finalised.

Tavolieri concluded: ‘New talks have been held in recent hours, with the clear objective of reaching an agreement between the clubs, but Crystal Palace has made it clear that it cannot afford to lose its best defender without finding an ideal replacement.

‘Guehi has already given Liverpool the green light and wants the deal to go through. A five-year contract awaits him at the Reds.’

Guehi arrival bad news for Konate?

Reports earlier in the summer stressed Guehi wanted assurances over his game-time before agreeing to join Liverpool.

Guehi will fancy his chances of starting for England at the 2026 World Cup but only if featuring regularly at club level in the 2025/26 campaign.

Virgil van Dijk is an automatic pick in Liverpool’s back four, meaning Guehi would be in direct competition with Ibrahima Konate for starts.

Like Guehi, Konate is in the final year of his contract. The Reds are in active discussions over extending Konate’s stay, but the Frenchman is a concrete target for Real Madrid.

Los Blancos hope to sign Konate via free agency next summer. And if Konate’s display against Bournemouth on Friday night is anything to go by, his head might already be turned.

Konate looked shaky from first minute to last and rifling a 30-yard backpass past Alisson Becker and out for a corner early in the contest set the tone for what was to come.

Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Carragher, was particularly stinging with his criticism on what he saw from Konate that night.

If Konate doesn’t quickly improve and Guehi does sign before the September 1 deadline, Van Dijk may find himself with a new centre-back partner this season.