“He’s got everything” – Ex-England striker backs ‘top drawer’ Liverpool target to thrive at Anfield | OneFootball

A former England striker has been raving about one ‘top drawer’ player who Liverpool are reportedly seeking to add to Arne Slot’s squad in the final month of the summer transfer window.

The Times‘ Paul Joyce reported on Tuesday that Anfield chiefs have opened talks with Crystal Palace over a move for Marc Guehi, with the two clubs in discussions over a potential deal consisting of £30m up front and another £5m in add-ons.

Arne Slot refused to be drawn on the rumours when asked about it at his pre-match press conference this morning, although one pundit has given the Eagles captain a glowing endorsement amid the ongoing speculation.

Bent ‘shocked’ by rumours of £35m Liverpool move for Guehi

Speaking on talkSPORT, Darren Bent couldn’t believe the price point at which Liverpool could potentially secure the 25-year-old, who’s now into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

The former Spurs and Aston Villa striker declared: “I’ve said it before, I think he’s England’s best defender. Guehi, I think he’s got everything. I thought he was our best player in [Euro 2024]. He was brilliant, strong, powerful. He could play with the ball.

“He looks like a real leader. I don’t know him personally but he looks like a really good character as well. I think he’s top drawer, I genuinely do, and I’m shocked at that price [£35m].

“The amount of teams that are looking for centre-halves… I think he’s good enough to play for Manchester City, I know they got Ruben Dias and Stones but he’s good enough to mix it with them boys. I think he’s good enough to go to Liverpool, who are after him. He’s good enough to play at Arsenal.”

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Would Guehi be an immediate starter at Liverpool?

Last summer, Palace rejected offers as high as £65m from Newcastle for Guehi (BBC Sport). That Liverpool could now viably sign him for just over half of that amount (maybe less if the add-ons aren’t activated) is essentially down to the defender’s rapidly expiring contract.

The Reds are on the cusp of completing the £26m signing of another centre-back in Giovanni Leoni from Parma, who’s one of the most precocious players in Europe in that position but has only made 33 senior career appearances.

The Eagles captain played one more match than that in last season’s Premier League alone and has racked up more than 200 first-team games, along with skippering his side to FA Cup glory in May and playing in the final of Euro 2024 with England.

Even when considering his contractual situation, to potentially sign him for roughly 20% more than Leoni would be phenomenal business by Liverpool. The Palace defender would give Slot a readymade contender for a starting berth to immediately challenge Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk for a place in the line-up.

In a campaign leading into the World Cup finals, Guehi would need assurances over game-time if he’s to swap his status as a leader at Selhurst Park for trying to break up a renonwed partnership on Merseyside, but LFC wouldn’t be attempting to recruit him if they didn’t believe he’s capable of doing just that.