Fabrizio Romano knows Guehi’s ‘real intention’ as Man City attempt transfer hijack of Liverpool target
Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Liverpool are ‘really pushing’ to sign Marc Guehi.
However, the Reds are facing stiff competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal and, in particular, Manchester City.
This comes with multiple outfits keeping a close eye on the England international’s expiring contract (this summer).
Marc Guehi wants to leave Crystal Palace in the summer
It’s worth emphasising that Guehi currently has his heart set on a summer departure after the 2025/26 season.
“I can tell you: The real intention of the player has always been to move in the summer on a free transfer,” Romano spoke on his eponymous YouTube channel.
“Liverpool are really pushing. Arsenal are calling because Arteta is a big fan. With these two clubs insisting, Bayern also having some meetings for Guehi, but Upamecano is expected to sign a new contract.
“Then Manchester City have been clear; they will try, they want to make an important proposal, and they want to go strong for Marc Guehi in this January window. So, Man City will try also next week. If the player accepts, Manchester City are prepared to make an agreement with Crystal Palace – they don’t see any problems with that.
“But, it’s on the player, and his plan has always been to move in the summer on a free.”
With City now understood to be likewise pushing hard to cut a deal with Palace a window early, it remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool can gamble on a key target still being available in the summer.
Either way, waiting until June could leave Arne Slot’s men in an even more problematic position. Just how many more elite clubs will be enticed into doing battle with the Reds for Marc Guehi’s signature?
Guehi would be a no-brainer at £30m-35m
Stefan Borson over at Football Insider suggested that the Eagles may feel they have to accept an offer for Guehi in the £30m-35m range, were one to come in this January.
If that were to be the case, it’s surely quite a reasonable fee to ensure that Liverpool can attack the second half of the season with considerably greater defensive security.
The Reds’ tunnel vision on a potential free transfer, of course, may prove the deciding factor here.
It would be negligent of Liverpool to wait until the summer
Our view on the matter is quite firm – it would be extremely negligent of Liverpool to leave all of their centre-back business until the summer.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the club has to sign Guehi this January, but we need to see at least one centre-half make their way through the doors of the AXA training centre by February.
The reasoning is simple. We can’t rely on Joe Gomez’s fitness, we need a long-term Virgil van Dijk successor, and we’re still not sure what kind of player we’ll have on our hands after Giovanni Leoni (19) returns from injury.
Liverpool then potentially need as many as three new centre-halves ahead of the 2026/27 season.
That’s a hell of a lot of pressure for a recruitment team to get on with in one window – by which point we may be in an even worse position.
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