Richard Hughes WILL finalise deal for £65m star - even if he doesn't know it yet | OneFootball

Liverpool were already a force of nature to be reckoned with in the transfer market before Richard Hughes became the club's sporting director, but now it seems the Reds have gone up a level.

This summer's transfer business has been nothing short of remarkable so far, leaving the fans in awe of what they're seeing. By all accounts, the recruitment team still have plenty more up their sleeve.

Being the first club to trigger Jeremie Frimpong's release clause was a stroke of genius, signing Florian Wirtz for £100m plus £16m in ambitious add-ons and then getting £10m for Trent Alexander-Arnold to leave a month before his contract expired. These are just incredibly brilliant deals.

And then we have the 'Here We Go' for Jarrel Quansah to join Leverkusen for £35m (including add-ons), which makes him the German club's record transfer. Embedding a buy-back clause into the deal made it a no-brainer. If he fails, we have £30m; if he excels, we have priority to sign him again.

Now, the Reds might be on the brink of yet another piece of shrewd transfer market business.

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Guehi to Liverpool is just a matter of time

Liverpool are reportedly interested in Marc Guehi - the Crystal Palace captain, who is a centre-back with vast experience. Despite having an extensive reputation, the Englishman is just 24 years old and he would help the Reds fill the homegrown hole left in the squad after Quansah's departure.

However, the player is in demand. Last season, Newcastle made a £65m bid for him which was declined and Tottenham also made an approach of £55m plus £15m in add-ons, which was also dismissed. Palace are unlikely to be helping Guehi pack his bags to move to Merseyside.

But the situation this year is very different to last. He now has just one year left on his deal and contract talks are uncooperative. It is will understood that he will leave, either this year or next.

As such, Liverpool are in a position to be a little bit cheeky with their approach. Claims of £30m might well be short of the mark, but £50m including add-ons might well suffice. After all, he's an extremely talented player who could replace Virgil Van Dijk in the long-term after 2027.

One thing for sure is that Liverpool will get him if they want him. That much shouldn't be in doubt.