Liverpool lead the race for “incredible’ £50m star

Liverpool won the Premier League last season, and they won it rather easily.

But it’s a new season, and though the Reds have welcomed a wide range of exciting additions in the summer window, the jury remains out as to how they will adapt to life in Arne Slot’s title-winning side, and indeed, how swiftly the Reds will establish their free-flowing finest form.

The likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will lead by example, instilling confidence in the dressing and quality on the field, but it would seem that, in spite of the thrilling signings that have been made over the past few months, one or two more are required if the Anfield side hope to challenge for gold across all four fronts next term.

Liverpool’s outstanding transfer plans

With Luis Diaz having completed a transfer to Bayern Munich and Darwin Nunez nearing a move to Al Hilal after a fee rising to £57m was agreed with the Saudi Pro League side, it’s clear that Liverpool need another forward.

That forward would appear to be Alexander Isak, who is locked in purgatory at Newcastle United as the Magpies struggle to find a replacement at centre-forward. Isak is determined to join Liverpool this summer.

Bolstering the midfield has been a scarcely discussed topic on Merseyside. This, in part, is because the £116m signing of Florian Wirtz will see Dominik Szoboszlai fielded deeper, as a number eight, with greater consistency, and Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will operate in deeper, press-resistant roles.

Gravenberch, 23, is proof of Slot’s elite coaching, taken from being a talented prospect and developed into the Premier League Young Player of the Year, Liverpool’s unlikely solution as the central anchor.

Now, Slot has the chance to repeat the trick.

Liverpool leading the race for Premier League star

According to The Telegraph, Liverpool remain the favourites to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace this summer, despite growing interest from a number of Premier League rivals.

Chelsea are searching for a centre-back following Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, but as it stands, are prioritising other targets. Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur both have a vested interest in the England international, but it is indeed Liverpool who lead the race.

Guehi, 25, has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park and is valued at £50m by chairman Steve Parish; however, such a figure is beyond what FSG would be willing to pay.

Why Liverpool must sign Marc Guehi

The most obvious reason: Liverpool are rather short on central defenders. Though Ibrahima Konate’s long-term future remains up for dispute, it doesn’t seem likely that the France international will leave Anfield this summer, even if his contract expires in 2026 and Real Madrid lurk in the background.

Van Dijk will hope to steer the Reds toward another Premier League title, but the skipper turned 34 in July, and a success plan should be put in place, both for the next two years and that unknown world beyond.

With Jarell Quansah having joined Bayer Leverkusen for £35m, a defender of Guehi’s distinction could add the requisite depth but also an upgrade in quality that would propel the Reds even further into the ascendancy.

Last season, the England international started 34 Premier League matches for Palace, captaining them often, and impressed with a 63% ground duel success rate and an average of a key pass every two games, as per Sofascore, noteworthy for a centre-half.

Of course, defeating Manchester City in the FA Cup final was the cherry on the cake, and given this clear abundance of talent and confidence, might it be that Guehi is the perfect candidate to join Slot’s Liverpool and become the Dutchman’s latest version of Gravenberch, who unlocked new levels to his game upon entering the new system?

As you will see in the table below, the improvements that Gravenberch made when entering Slot’s world is nothing short of remarkable, with pundit Peter Crouch hailing him as “an absolute revelation” for the Reds last term.

Previously discarded as flotsam by Bayern Munich, Gravenberch has become one of the best midfielders in the world, and Guehi could follow suit as Slot’s latest player project at Liverpool, having previously been cast out by Chelsea, who sold him to Crystal Palace for £18m in 2021 after he graduated from their academy, making only two appearances for the senior side.

Not just a stern defensive force and an “incredible” player, as he has been called by The Athletic’s Sturart James, Guehi also boasts a wide technical range, suited for the layered and intricate tactics of Slot at Liverpool.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 12% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for through balls per 90, clearly fostering a ball-playing game under Oliver Glasner that would lead to a smooth transition over to Merseyside.

There are many central defenders floating about who could add the depth needed for Liverpool to challenge across multiple fronts next season, but in Guehi, FSG might just land the pick of the bunch, an immense player who has yet to even reach the full scale of his potential.