Liverpool timeline for signing Marc Guehi confirmed amid shock Antoine Semenyo U-turn | OneFootball

A reliable reporter has revealed when Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi will likely join Liverpool amid growing rival interest, while the Reds haven’t given up hope of signing Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo.

Arne Slot’s side have bounced back from a dismal run of form by winning their last three Premier League games, leaving them fourth in the table, but still 10 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Liverpool have their eye on some exciting transfer targets, and Crystal Palace centre-back Guehi remains at the top of the shortlist, with his contract at Selhurst Park expiring at the season’s end.

Guehi’s contract situation means he is set to be available on a free transfer in the summer, though there has been speculation that Liverpool could bid for him next month to get ahead of the competition.

Semenyo, meanwhile, has also been heavily linked with a switch to Anfield, and the interest coincided with uncertainty over Mo Salah’s future at Anfield.

But even with Salah now expected to stay until the end of the campaign at least, Liverpool could still compete with Man City to sign Semenyo over the next few days.

Liverpool playing a risky waiting game

Liverpool believed they had tied up a deal worth £35m to sign Guehi over the summer, only for Palace to pull out of negotiations on deadline day. The England international had agreed to make the switch to Anfield and he even passed a medical, before the transfer collapsed in a dramatic twist.

Liverpool remain determined to secure Guehi’s services at the second time of asking, but they now face mounting competition for the defender’s signature.

Overseas clubs – of which there are many chasing the Palace skipper – can forge a pre-contract agreement with Guehi come January 1.

However, according to respected BBC journalist Sami Mokbel, Liverpool are not panicking and still intend to wait until the summer to try again for Guehi.

“My understanding at the moment is he probably and is expected to stay at Palace until the end of the season when his contract expires,” Mokbel said.

“Look, he’s got so many options in the summer. You’ve got Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan… all these clubs have registered varying degrees of interest in Guehi in recent weeks.

“When you come to the end of the season you’ll have Liverpool back in the mix, Manchester City back in the mix.

“So he is leaving, he’s going, but I expect that situation to continue until the summer when he’ll have his pick of the clubs.”

Liverpool still alive in Semenyo race – multiple reports

Liverpool had identified Bournemouth winger Semenyo as a potential replacement for Salah, when there were genuine fears of the 33-year-old leaving Anfield mid-season.

Semenyo, 25, has a £65m (£60m plus £5m in add-ons) release clause in his contract which can be triggered from January 1 to January 10, and several sides have shown serious interest.

Our transfer correspondent, Graeme Bailey, revealed back on December 9 that Semenyo’s preference, were he to leave Bournemouth, would be a move to Anfield.

Manchester City since exploded into the race, however, emerging as strong favourites to secure the Ghanaian’s signature.

Sources told us earlier this week that the Reds had been unlikely to make an official move for Semenyo in January, seemingly accepting that his move to the Etihad Stadium is as good as done.

However, journalist for the Daily Mail, Jack Gaughan, reports the opposite, and suggests that Liverpool could still ‘step up’ their interest in Semenyo in the coming weeks.

And later today, Gaughan’s reporting was backed up by Mike McGrath of The Telegraph, who said that Liverpool are now set to ‘rival’ Man City for Semenyo, in a dramatic twist.

Liverpool open Harvey Elliott talks

In other news, Fabrizio Romano insists that Liverpool are ready to cut Harvey Elliott’s loan short and bring him back from Aston Villa next month.

With Villa only signing Elliott on loan and having inserted a clause that would make the move permanent if he starts 10 times for the club, boss Unai Emery has already confirmed he has no intention of fulfilling that obligation that would guarantee the transfer.

Romano has confirmed that talks over finding a solution are now underway, and with Liverpool far from happy at what has unfolded.

However, a second report has revealed there are two ‘layers of complexity’ around his situation as the two clubs work on a potential solution.