Liverpool suffer crushing Marc Guehi blow as rivals 'believe £30m transfer is all wrapped up'

Liverpool’s hopes of signing Marc Guehi have suffered a major setback as the Crystal Palace defender is now believed to be on the verge of joining Manchester City in a £30m deal. The centre-back, whose contract at Selhurst Park runs down at the end of the season, has attracted widespread interest after emerging as one of the Premier League’s most reliable defenders and an England regular.

The article explains that Liverpool came close to landing Guehi in the summer, agreeing a fee in the region of £35m with Palace before the move collapsed late on deadline day when Palace pulled out, unable to source an adequate replacement in time. That failure left Liverpool still in need of a long-term central defensive solution, especially with ongoing questions over depth and future succession in their back line.

In the meantime, City have moved decisively. They are reported to have a strong belief that a £30m package will be enough to wrap up the transfer, taking advantage of Guehi’s contract situation and Palace’s reluctance to lose him for nothing in the summer. Personal terms are described as effectively agreed, with the player understood to be keen on working under Pep Guardiola and competing for major honours.

For Liverpool, the development is framed as a “crushing blow,” not only because they lose out on a long-standing target, but also because a key rival looks set to strengthen in a position where Liverpool themselves had hoped to upgrade. The piece notes that Liverpool may now have to turn to alternative defensive options later in the window or risk waiting until the summer, with the market for top centre-backs becoming increasingly competitive.