Crystal Palace believe that Liverpool will be the only side to bid for centre-back Marc Guehi in the January transfer window, reports Sky Sports.
The Reds came close to signing the England international on deadline day as they looked to bolster at the heart of the defence.
However, despite agreeing a fee with Palace for the defender and personal terms with Guehi, the Eagles pulled the plug on the deal at the 11th hour as they failed to sign a replacement.
The 25-year-old’s current deal at Selhurst Park expires at the end of the season and there is a general acceptance at the club that Guehi will leave at the turn of the year.
Liverpool are expected to firm up their interest in the Palace captain when the transfer window re-opens in January as they look to strengthen at the back.
Liverpool only side set to bid for Palace star in January
La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich, have also been credited with an interest in Guehi.
The European powerhouse trio are unlikely to bid for Guehi in January, however, as they hope they can sign the defender on a free at the end of the season.
Guehi is able to sign a pre-contract with an overseas side from January 1st giving Liverpool a deadline to thrash out a deal for the player as they weigh up their centre-back options.
The defending Premier League champions did sign Giovanni Leoni over the summer only for the Italian teenager to suffer a season-ending ACL injury on his debut.
With question marks over Ibrahima Konate’s future at Anfield, Liverpool are conscious they need to bring in a new centre-back as quickly as possible.
The Reds have also been linked with a move for Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano, who is currently stalling over a new deal with the Bavarian giants.
Like Guehi and Konate, Upamecano’s current deal expires at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Reds interested in Bournemouth forward
Guehi isn’t the only player Liverpool my pursue in January with Antoine Semenyo another on the club’s wishlist.
Semenyo was heavily linked with a move away from Bournemouth over the summer but instead signed a five-year deal at the Vitality Stadium as potential suitors were put off by the Cherries’ £70m asking price for the Ghanaian.
Liverpool are interested in Semenyo as they ready themselves to lose star forward Mohamed Salah to Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations next month, the tournament running from December 21st and January 18th.
The 25-year-old, who has scored six goals and provided three assists in the Premier League this season, has a £65m release clause that can be activated in the New Year, with Tottenham and Manchester United also interested in the versatile forward.
