‘Four-man’ shortlist of Marc Guehi substitutes includes a Newcastle star, according to Liverpool transfer story
According to reports, Liverpool has targeted Sven Botman, a defender for Newcastle United, as a possible substitute for Marc Guehi. When Crystal Palace withdrew from the agreement on the last day of the window because they couldn’t find a substitute, the Reds’ summer transfer attempt to recruit Guehi was unsuccessful.
The England international, who wants to finish the last season of his Palace contract before choosing what to do next summer, is still being connected to Arne Slot’s team. Given that teenage defender Geovanni Leoni is expected to miss the remainder of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, it is unclear if the Reds would attempt to sign a centre-back during the January transfer window. Given that Ibrahima Konate’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign, Liverpool will also be concerned about the ambiguity surrounding his future.
Liverpool is reportedly having “internal” discussions over whether they need to sign a new central defender during the winter transfer window, according to talkSPORT. Guehi is still a target, according to the report, although Liverpool also found four potential substitutes in the summer transfer window. Despite missing most of the 2024–25 season due to injuries, Botman of Newcastle was one of the names on the four-man shortlist.
The Dutchman, who is now fully recovered, has started five of his seven competitive games this season and is reportedly seen as a key member of Eddie Howe’s team. Willian Pacho of Paris Saint-Germain is another name Liverpool is considering, although it will be challenging to pry away a player who has a contract with Luis Enrique’s team through the summer of 2029. Using a “data-driven approach,” Liverpool also identified Ousmane Diomande and Zeno Debast of Sporting Lisbon as potential Guehi substitutes.
The Portuguese powerhouses are thought to be open to offers below Diomande’s €80 million (£70 million) release clause, which is also thought to be the same amount as the contract’s exit provision for Debast. Despite designating the four defenders as alternatives in the summer transfer window, the talkSPORT report emphasises that it is unknown if the Reds will actually contemplate a January deal for either of them.
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