Have The Reds Lost Out On Opportunity to Sign Marc Guehi?
Marc Guehi led his team when they won the season's curtain-raiser against Liverpool in the summer.
In just over a month, Palace skipper the defender will be free to complete a move a European club when his contract expires on the summer.
The defender can agree to a preliminary deal with a team overseas when the January window opens on 1 January 2026.
Liverpool passed up the chance to buy the Three Lions defender for thirty-five million pounds in the off-season. The prolonged negotiations, which dragged on throughout the transfer period, concluded when the London club were unable to sign a adequate alternative.
It meant the Selhurst Park side forgoing a sizable sum for the defender with just twelve months left on his contract, but kept their key player after losing another star to a rival club a week earlier.
The club are still keen to revive their pursuit, though there are no guarantees the transfer will materialise.
The defender now has other options and it is believed elite teams in the continent have already expressed an intention.
The player, though, is not the sole prominent centre-back who might be on the market on a free deal next the coming window.
The Merseysiders' own Ibrahima Konate has also been connected with a move to the Spanish giants at the expiry of his contract, potentially emulating in the path of ex- defensive partner Trent Alexander-Arnold.
However, reports on Friday morning indicated Real Madrid have halted their apparent pursuit, with little firm intent apparent.
His uncertain future has been widely cited as a factor for his dip in performance.
Real Madrid could part with defenders the German, 32, and the Austrian, 33, this transfer window with each about to begin the last stretch of their agreements.
It positions the Palace star and Dayot Upamecano as possibilities if they are to join the free market to reinforce at defense - a strategy they have used repeatedly in recent seasons.
The Defender Fits The Club's Strategy
The La Liga side do hold an attraction in Marc Guehi and he fits a clear team requirement at the back.
The young defender has emerged as a regular, but Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger have both had injury issues. He is now in his thirties, Raul Asencio has not completely impressed and David Alaba has lost pace after a long spell on the sidelines.
The Crystal Palace man, a established Premier League defender with character, quickness and plenty of good decisions, is seen as the kind of stabilising presence who can challenge immediately for playing time.
His situation fits with the club's broader transfer policy: three kinds of deals. First, the promising player who can grow into a superstar. Second, the cost-free but proven individual, where substantial signing-on fees replace transfer costs.
Finally, the big-fee acquisition reserved for specific targets viewed as immediate first-teamers.
