Liverpool Won’t Face Heavyweight Competition For Key Target | OneFootball

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Manchester City have been claimed to have have joined Liverpool in the chase for centre-back Guehi with the transfer window closing next week.

Palace captain Guehi is into the final year of his contract and has been linked with a move away after showing no appetite for a renewal.

Manuel Akanji is rumoured to be of interest to Crystal Palace and Guehi was suggested to go the other way to the Sky Blues.

It has now emerged that Pep Guardiola’s side are not planning an approach for Guehi, leaving the path clear for Liverpool.

Guehi has been the subject of interest from the Reds, but Liverpool and Crystal Palace have been unable to find common ground on his valuation.

The Reds have already signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma, but the centre-back is viewed as one for the future as much as the present.

Having sold Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, only Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez remain as the senior centre-back options.

Gomez and Konate remain injury prone and an injury to Van Dijk risks throwing Liverpool’s entire season into disarray.

Liverpool have been defensively susceptible, conceding twice in all three fixtures including the Community Shield clash against Palace, with Konate especially looking shaky.

Arne Slot will want someone in through the door at the AXA Training Centre to keep Konate honest after his early performances.

With Konate’s contract expiring next season too, Guehi could come into the side as a readymade replacement, leaving next summer free to improve other areas of the pitch.

Signing Guehi would represent the kind of opportunity Liverpool look for, as they seek to leave the defensive jitters behind and challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League.