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Liverpool's pursuit of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi could be influenced by Arsenal's potential move for Jeremy Jacquet.
The 20-year-old is reportedly being eyed as a possible replacement for England international Guehi by the Eagles. Palace is also open to parting ways with Guehi this summer, but only on their terms.
The 25-year-old, who seemed to have a minor disagreement with Palace manager Oliver Glasner over the weekend, is in the final year of his contract. Negotiations between the two clubs on a deal to bring the player to Anfield are ongoing, but there appears to be a $13 million discrepancy in Guehi's valuation.
Rumours suggest Liverpool is prepared to table $47M, while Palace is holding out for $60M, despite the risk of losing him on a free transfer next summer. Similar to the ongoing saga of Alexander Isak's potential move to Liverpool, and in a transfer window dominated by the domino effect of clubs needing to secure incoming players before approving departures, it's believed that Palace will want to secure a replacement before letting Guehi go.
That's due to the limited time remaining in the transfer window and Palace's tactical setup requiring three central defenders. Guehi was in the starting XI for the Eagles' goalless draw against Chelsea on Sunday, but the club reportedly has a backup plan in the form of Rennes star Jacquet.
Arsenal was linked with the young Frenchman earlier this summer, and if Palace acts on their interest in Jacquet, as reported by The Independent, it could force Arsenal's hand, potentially leaving the Eagles without a replacement and needing to retain Guehi at Selhurst Park.
Although Arsenal is thought to be eyeing Jacquet for next season, there is a scenario where the Gunners secure him now, amidst Palace's interest, and loan him back to France, similar to what they did with William Saliba.
He had three loan spells in his home country before becoming a regular under Mikel Arteta and one of the Premier League's most dependable defenders.
Jacquet is the latest French prodigy to emerge from the Bondy region of Paris, which has produced talents like Kylian Mbappe over the years. Arsenal may view the young centre-back as defensive cover should Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jakub Kiwior depart the Emirates Stadium this summer.
Another hurdle in Guehi's potential move to Anfield is Rennes' insistence that Jacquet, who signed a new contract back in May, is not for sale this summer. The French club reportedly views him as a key player for the future and hopes he can continue his development in Ligue 1.
Discussing the futures of Guehi and Eberechi Eze, who is nearing a move to Tottenham Hotspur, Glasner insisted that his players are currently committed to the south London club.
He said on Match of the Day: "Ebs and Marc, there has been a lot of noise about these two players in the last week. Everyone could see the performances against Liverpool and today, they were 100 per cent aligned with this team and Crystal Palace."
In the meantime, it's reported that Liverpool is biding their time for Newcastle United to secure a centre-forward before making a second offer for Isak. Brentford's Yoane Wissa is believed to be high on Eddie Howe's wish list, but the Bees are putting a stop to any move as they aim to bring in reinforcements before allowing him to depart.
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