Source delivers make-or-break Liverpool decision over Marc Guehi as massive January dilemma looms | OneFootball

TEAMtalk sources have delivered an update on Liverpool’s chances of completing a January swoop for Marc Guehi ahead of rivals from abroad, with Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner once again playing a big role in any decision.

England centre-back Guehi is free to sign a pre-contract with clubs outside of England in the new year, despite being heavily linked with a switch to Anfield for some time and failing to make a proposed move late in the summer window.

We can reveal that Guehi remains “very keen” on joining Liverpool, despite the Reds’ worst run in a decade, although the allure of Barcelona is also one he is considering.

In our attempts to find out what the future holds for Guehi, we asked trusted transfer insider Dean Jones about whether Palace are willing to pass up the opportunity to secure a fee for the defender in January.

Jones told us: “The first thing that needs to happen is that an offer needs to come in – and up to now noises out of Liverpool have suggested that they would not be offering money again in January, and that they would wait until the summer to sign him.

“Obviously with them in a results crisis recently they may be rethinking that, but only time will tell if they genuinely give Crystal Palace the option of selling him in the January window.

“What we know will happen is that foreign clubs are going to try to get him to sign a pre-contract in January and, of course, as a free agent at the end of the season the most lucrative thing that Guehi could do for his own career is to wait this out and join somebody in the summer.

“That has been seen as the most likely outcome and he is definitely open-minded about the idea of playing abroad.”

Glasner a big factor in Guehi, January exit decision

Jones also confirmed to us that Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will also, once again, have a major role in deciding what happens with the player in the winter window.

He added: “The other thing to consider is that for Crystal Palace those is not just a case of getting money for a player, which of course is significant, but it is about finding a sufficient replacement in the January market that would allow them to perform at the same level for the remainder of the campaign so that they can fulfil their potential.

“He is captain, he plays pretty much every single minute of every game, and the club have their own performance goals to meet.

“Oliver Glasner had a big say in Guehi not joining Liverpool in the summer. He helped decide it would not happen.

“So sporting objectives may also come into play.”

For Liverpool, it’s a case of whether they are prepared to fork out what is expected to be between £30-35 million for Guehi in January or run the risk of him agreeing a pre-contract with the likes of Barcelona instead.