Liverpool, Newcastle shattered by Marc Guehi update but massive double Palace swoop keeps hopes alive

Newcastle and Liverpool look increasingly likely to miss out on a deal for Marc Guehi after Crystal Palace accepted an offer to sell Joachim Anderson to Fulham – though confirmation from Fabrizio Romano that the Eagles have moved for two defensive targets of their own does keep their faint hopes of a deal for the England defender alive.

Guehi was already regarded as one of the Premier League’s finest defenders before this summer’s European Championships, where the failure of Harry Maguire to make the squad allowed the Crystal Palace defender to take centre stage – an opportunity he did not let pass him by. Indeed, Guehi was the Three Lions’ most outstanding performer of the tournament as Gareth Southgate and Co fell one hurdle short once again, suffering a 2-1 loss to Spain in the final.

Since those performances, demand for Guehi‘s services has been higher than ever, with the hunt, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, being led by Newcastle.

Indeed, Eddie Howe’s side have pursued the 24-year-old relentlessly, seeing four offers – the most recent of which topped £65m – rejected by the Eagles.

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Sources have told TEAMtalk that the Eagles value the player in the £70m bracket, though have always made clear their preference to keep the centre-half on their books, especially following the forced exit of another star man in Michael Olise from Oliver Glasner’s squad earlier this summer.

Liverpool, too, have also been keeping their eye on the situation and we understand the Merseyside club are also long-term admirers of the 17-times capped England defender.

However, both Newcastle and Liverpool have seen their hopes of prising the defender away suffer a significant blow after the Eagles instead agreed the sale of another of their defensive stars in Joachim Anderson.

Guehi sale chances fade despite Palace move for defensive pair

That came after the Eagles accepted a £30m offer from the Cottagers to bring Denmark defender Anderson back to Craven Cottage, with the 28-year-old starring on loan there back in the 2020/21 season.

All parties are said to be in agreement over the transfer and the move back across London is expected to be finalised in the coming days.

But with the Eagles bidding farewell to their experienced defender, who has appeared 112 times and started in their 2-1 defeat to Brentford on Sunday, chairman Steve Parrish has admitted it is highly unlikely they will move on both of their centre-halves in the same transfer window.

Speaking earlier this month, Parrish stated: “I can’t imagine a situation where we would lose both of our centre-halves. Again, Joachim, he’s a special lad and very much at the heart of what we do. He’s like our quarterback at the heart of that back three, a sensational footballer.

“We have got to sit and think about what is the right thing to do, what the players want to do. If both of them are still here at the end of the window I wouldn’t be surprised.”

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As a result, Palace are likely now to dig their claws in over the future of Guehi and it would now take a monumental offer for them to cash in.

However, that possibility still remains on the table and Palace are understood to be taking precautions both to replace Anderson and to potentially replace Guehi after Romano revealed offers had been made for two prospective replacements.

The reporter has revealed that the Eagles have launched an opening offer for Wolfsburg defender Maxence Lacroix, who has just a year left on his deal and is likely to be sold by the Bundesliga outfit. Palace have bid £12m for the 24-year-old with a further £2m in add-ons.

At the same time, the Eagles have also submitted an official bid to Benfica for Portuguese defender Tomas Araujo.

As it stands, there is no agreement in place between the clubs, but talks are underway at reaching an agreement, with Palace actively seeking two new defenders just in case Guehi joins Anderson in departing Selhurst Park this summer.