With Liverpool having already signed Newcastle-targeted striker Hugo Ekitike and pushing hard to steal superstar Alexander Isak away from the Magpies to add injury to insult, it could be the north-east club will look to get one over on the Reds at another position.
That’s because the latest, care of The Times, has Newcastle targeting Crystal Palace centre half Marc Guéhi, long rumoured to be Liverpool’s top centre half target in a summer that sees the Reds down to three senior centre halves after
shipping Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen.
The good news for Liverpool is even if Newcastle do want Guéhi, just like the Reds they’re said to be put off by Palace’s £50M valuation. It’s said they would be comfortable paying £40M for the 25-year-old England international—but that’s a fee Liverpool are also believed willing to pay.
In a straight fight, one would rather imagine Liverpool would be the more appealing destination, and also likely willing to pay a higher wage. However, Newcastle would offer Guéhi a much clearer path to guaranteed playing time in what will be a World Cup season.
At Liverpool, Guéhi would be fighting Ibrahima Konaté to partner with Virgil van Dijk. At Newcastle, he would be first choice. For Liverpool, too, it’s perhaps worth noting that as much as they do need to sign a centre half, there are other plausible targets for the role they need to fill.
Guéhi’s main appeal as likely third-choice centre half for the Reds would be his homegrown status. Meanwhile, striker Alexander Isak is at worst the second best striker in the Premier League behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and one of the top five at his position in Europe.
It will be interesting, though, to see how it all plays out over the final month of the summer transfer window, with Liverpool having stollen Newcastle’s top striker target and pushing to sign to sign their current top striker—and now both clubs seemingly wanting Guéhi.
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