Liverpool prepare to spend £65m on SPECIAL England international

While Liverpool continue to succeed on the pitch, off-field transfer rumours are rife.

Speculation is looming over the club's decisions around their self-made contract disaster and positions that weren't looked at for recruitment over the summer are now in need of attention.

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Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are all set to be out of contract at the end of the season.

Darwin Nunez is continuing to flounder as Liverpool's primary No9, failing to meet the expectations that his price tag puts on him.

And Andy Robertson is making a basic error on the pitch almost every game, which has cost Liverpool precious points in recent weeks.

As such, the club's sporting director Richard Hughes has a lot on his plate to deal with this Christmas time, and the decisions he makes will have a huge effect on the rest of Liverpool's season, and the years to come.

In an effort to solve a problem that has been looming over the past few seasons, as Liverpool have relied heavily on Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, the club is reportedly looking at signing a new centre-back, their first in four years.

Marc Guehi on Liverpool's shortlist

Despite being widely touted to sign for Newcastle last season, the Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was retained by the Eagles this summer. The Magpies had a bid of £65m declined, and the Eagles felt that his presence in their defence was necessary for manager Oliver Glasner to succeed this season.

And while Palace have had a topsy-turvy season so far, Guehi has excelled leading their defensive line and he is now on the radar of a number of top clubs.

According to CaughtOffiside, the England international is a player that Liverpool are "considering a move for", although Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly interested.

Chelsea would have an advantage in bringing him back to West London because of a sell-on clause that they put in his contract when he departed Stamford Bridge in 2021.

Meanwhile, it would make sense for Manchester United to be lurking, given Guehi's experience in playing in a back three, which is the system that Ruben Amorim now plays with.

However, the England international's calmness on the ball and his leadership qualities make him a standout candidate to replace Van Dijk, should Liverpool's contract negotiations with the Dutchman fail to be successful.

At 6ft 1, the 24-year-old is a colossal central defender. The prospect of him playing alongside Konate or Van Dijk would be mesmerizing, partnering up to become a wall in front of goal.

The CaughtOffside report cites a story from The Mirror, which claims that Liverpool could be submitting a £65m bid for Guehi in the summer, which, should it come to fruition, would be a statement move from FSG to shore up the defence for years to come.

However, the article also claims that Liverpool would only make the move if Van Dijk were to depart, stating; "the Merseyside club are already blessed with very good options at centre-back."

While Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah are also at the club, Liverpool currently have four centre-backs. Gomez was rumoured of a move last season, so he might be on the way out, and Joel Matip retired at the end of the last campaign, yet the club didn't replace him, so there is wiggle room to play with.

Of course, we will have to wait and see if Hughes or Arne Slot decides to make the move for Guehi, but as far as prospects go, he is a player that many Liverpool fans would easily be able to get on board with.

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