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Liverpool is hopeful that it will be able to squeeze a transfer deal over the line for Marc Guehi before the 7pm (2pm ET) deadline at the end of the summer window.
But while CEO Steve Parish has already admitted that his side cannot afford to lose its captain on a free transfer next summer and would prefer to cash in now instead, manager Oliver Glasner has remained insistent that Guehi would not be allowed to depart.
"I told the chairman we have to keep Marc if we want to play a successful season," Glasner told BBC Sport on Sunday. "We have no chance to find the right replacement in one day.
"We all agreed that we [can only] sell Marc if we have the right replacement in the building. We wanted a replacement by 1 July.
"It is 31 August and we have no replacement. We have this agreement so it is clear from me. He is such a crucial player. He is one of our key players — he is our captain."
Guehi, who scored a screamer against Aston Villa in a 3-0 win and appeared to be ushered over to the away end at the final whistle by his teammates, was also asked about his future.
"All I know is when you score goals like that it is always down to team performance," he said. "People will try to single out the goal but that was a clear team performance tonight."
Crystal Palace looked at AC Milan center-back Strahinja Pavlovic earlier in the year but he proved to be too expensive at the time. The 24-year-old Serbian, according to Sky Sports, is now back on the agenda and could be a late possibility.
If Crystal Palace could get another defender in, Glasner would be likelier to agree to letting Guehi go. And Liverpool is still pushing for that move to happen before the deadline.
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"For players of that calibre to leave on a free, it's a problem for us unfortunately," Crystal Palace CEO Parish said last month.
"Joachim [Andersen] went [to Fulham last summer] and we couldn't afford to lose both. We then had another bid [for Guehi] in January but that was a different situation.
"We'll just have to see what happens. But, you know, it needs a new contract or a conclusion of some kind."
Liverpool.com says: Guehi would be a really strong option for the Reds to bring in. Ibrahima Konate was much improved against Arsenal, but added depth would be welcome.
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