1 week ago
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Newcastle must be sick of the sight of Liverpool this transfer window; it has already missed out on Hugo Ekitike, and now it looks increasingly likely to lose Alexander Isak to Anfield. The clubs could find themselves going head to head yet again over Marc Guehi.
The Crystal Palace center-back is into the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park. Both Liverpool and Newcastle are keeping an eye on proceedings, potentially putting them on a collision course once again.
Arne Slot's need for at least one more center-back was exposed in the back-to-back friendlies against Athletic Club, where Trey Nyoni, Wataru Endo and Andy Robertson were all pressed into service out of position. That came amid an injury to Joe Gomez and a bout of illness for Virgil van Dijk.
While neither of those absences are expected to be lengthy, they highlighted the fragility of Liverpool's current situation in the heart of defense. It was a reminder that it does not take much for Slot to be relying on extremely left-field options.
That comes after the departure of Jarell Quansah earlier in the window. While Liverpool undeniably got a good deal, it does now find itself needing to re-enter the market for someone who shares a similar profile.
Whether it can find the right player for less than the initial $40 million it received for Quansah remains to be seen. It would certainly be a long shot to get Guehi at that price point, even with the England international's contract situation.
But the Reds are willing to play the waiting game and see how much, if at all, the asking price drops. Much hinges on whether Palace decides to prioritize cashing in or getting an extra season from its captain as it embarks on a European campaign.
The other suitors could also alter the picture. If Newcastle formalizes its interest with a bid, that could end Liverpool's hopes of the price dropping significantly.
In a straight transfer race, Liverpool would be confident of beating Newcastle once again. But it will have an appropriate valuation in mind, and will not cross it.
With that in mind, Slot and his team are considering possible alternatives. According to The Times, Giovanni Leoni has caught the eye.
Leoni, 18, would be far less of a finished article than Guehi. He currently plays for Parma, where he has just 17 Serie A appearances to his name.
But having signed from Sampdoria in Serie B last summer, he ended the campaign as a regular starter for Parma in the top flight, catching the eye with his combination of physicality and elegance. And while he would no doubt cost far more than the $5.5 million it took to secure his services last year, he may be a more budget-friendly alternative than Guehi.
And it needn't be a bad thing that Leoni is not as far along in his development. After all, Liverpool is only really in need of cover in the short term, with Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate the established partnership.
Someone who can quietly continue their development behind the scenes, but who is already prepared to step in when required, is the ideal profile. In many ways, Leoni fits it even more than Guehi.
Having said that, Guehi will no doubt become a priority if Crystal Palace signals movement on price. But rather than getting into a bidding war with Newcastle, it may well be that Liverpool pulls the trigger on an alternative like Leoni instead.
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