1 week ago
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Liverpool is reportedly eyeing Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano as a potential alternative to Marc Guehi.
The Reds' attempt to secure Guehi fell through on transfer deadline day, with Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish abruptly canceling the deal. The £35 million ($46.8M) move's collapse left Guehi fuming and he is set to depart from Palace in 2025, either on a free transfer in the summer or for a fee in January.
Despite the setback, Liverpool remains the frontrunner to sign the England international, with Arne Slot eager to bolster his defensive options following Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, particularly after Giovanni Leoni's ACL injury. However, the club's radar isn't solely fixed on Guehi, hence they're keeping tabs on other prospects.
Upamecano, like Guehi, has his current contract with Bayern set to run out on June 30, and extension talks have hit a roadblock. The French international has been a stalwart at Bayern for over four years, clocking up 162 appearances, but his tenure in Bavaria may be nearing its end.
As per German newspaper Bild, negotiations have reached an impasse, with Upamecano demanding better terms to re-sign. He is reportedly seeking an annual salary of €16M ($18.5M) plus a signing-on bonus, and his agent Moussa Sissoko knows that his teammate Alphonso Davies pocketed €17m ($19.7M) when he inked a new deal earlier this year.
Liverpool, along with Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Chelsea, is keeping a keen eye on the unfolding situation. Upamecano, however, seems content at Bayern and is using his current standing to negotiate a new contract rather than seeking an exit.
Bayern, in turn, has identified Guehi and Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck as potential replacements should they part ways with Upamecano. This suggests that the futures of Guehi and Upamecano could be intertwined, given their status as two of Europe's top centre-backs with contracts nearing their end.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner made Guehi's stance clear on Friday, "I think Marc has already told us that he doesn't sign a new contract, so he will leave next year.
"The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said; 'No, I want to make something different'. And that's normal. And for us, it's how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And that's all about how we are talking together."
Despite splashing out £450M ($601.6M) on fresh talent over the summer, Liverpool still has funds set aside for the January transfer window. Following a string of four consecutive losses, they've been linked with Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, touted as a long-term successor for Mohamed Salah.
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