Richard Hughes lining up GENIUS triple transfer | OneFootball

Liverpool and Crystal Palace have been in direct competition a fair bit over the last few months.

It all started on the last game of the 2024/25 Premier League season at Anfield, when the two clubs met and each side gave the other a guard of honour following their respective FA Cup and title wins.

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Then, we saw the pair in action to kick off the new season with an enthralling Community Shield match which was drawn, before the Eagles edged the penalty shootout to secure more silverware.

And finally, we didn't quite expect drama from Liverpool's approach for Marc Guehi, but Steve Parish's refusal to let his captain go for a respectable £35m fee has since led to frustration from fans.

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However, the South London club might inspire the Reds' transfer strategy for next summer, which two current players and one former player each making their way onto Richard Hughes' radar.

Triple transfer on the cards?

Since we're only halfway through September, it feels wrong to even begin to look forward to the January transfer window, never mind next summer, but recruitment plans start forming early on.

The club's Premier League squad for the season has been confirmed and while it's unlikely that any changes will be made throughout the campaign, it's possible to consider post-season amendments.

Per Michael Reid, who has distinguished the different ways that players have been able to fit into Arne Slot's plans, the Reds have filled their 17-man section of non-homegrown players. There are also seven homegrown players added, 15 notable under-22s and 10 stars on loan elsewhere.

As with every transfer window, this framework has to be kept in mind when building a strategy and if possible, Liverpool might now want to look at bringing in high-quality homegrown assets so that very few changes need to be made to the 17 non-homegrown spots.

This is because players like Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak won't be going anywhere over the next few years. They're in Liverpool's new spine.

But this is not to suggest that big transfers aren't possible, bringing in players that can make an immediate case to trouble the starting XI upon their arrival. A triple-transfer move is in the wings.

The first of the three is Guehi, whom Liverpool hope to sign next summer on a free transfer from Crystal Palace, which could be wrapped up mid-way through the season is a pre-agreement is signed by the player. Otherwise, a lot of competition will come from the elite European clubs.

And ideally, his young Eagles teammate Adam Wharton will follow him to Merseyside, building more of an English presence in the team - two of the international boss Thomas Tuchel's best assets.

The 26-year-old centre-back will bolster the defence and hope to cover Virgil Van Dijk's absence over the next few years, once the Dutch captain hangs up his boots - although hopefully not yet.

Meanwhile the 21-year-old midfielder can play a few different roles for Liverpool, not least backing up Ryan Gravenberch in the defensive role, but also as a potential No. 8, playing on the half-turn.

Finally, the rumoured successor to Mohamed Salah is Bayern Munich's right-winger Michael Olise, a 23-year-old Frenchman who has three seasons of Premier League experience, also having played for Crystal Palace. His time with the Eagles has meant he too is considered a 'homegrown' asset.

Securing the latter two players is going to be an expensive operation, likely around £150m in total, if not more, but none of Guehi, Wharton or Olise would need to be added to the 17-man list, which is a stroke of genius from Richard Hughes if all three are in his plans. You only need to have spent three years training in England before the age of 21 to be considered 'homegrown' by the Premier League.

Giovanni Leoni will follow suit in a couple of years, since the Italian is only 18-years-old - it's a slight loophole that is entirely legitimate and should be abused whenever the possible. No one would need to be sold in order to bolster the squad depth, which already feels a little too good to be true.