£20m is Liverpool's MAGIC number to get deal done

Liverpool are looking to sign Marc Guehi in this transfer window. There's a magic number to get everything done, however.

Marc Guehi is one of the names at the top of Liverpool's shopping list. The Crystal Palace captain is certainly available to buy and the Reds are in need of a new centre-back.

Jarell Quansah left the club this summer, joining Bayer Leverkusen for a fairly large fee. Liverpool have not signed a replacement as of yet - but it appears they're close.

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range

That's because a deal for Giovanni Leoni is set to go through. The club have been in talks with Parma for the last little while and all indications are that it's going to be finalised shortly.

So why the need for Guehi, too?

🔴 Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas away range

Liverpool and Marc Guehi

The dire need for Guehi is because of Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman, like Guehi, is out of contract next summer and it now looks highly unlikely that he signs a new deal.

Real Madrid are very interested in Konate, particularly as a free transfer in 2026. But reports in Spain suggest they would be open to signing him this summer for around €25m.

That's roughly £20m, then, and it suddenly becomes the figure with which Liverpool would negotiate for Guehi. After all, Guehi would want to arrive as a first-choice player and that only happens if Konate is dropped or gone.

Liverpool aren't going to pay a premium on Guehi and then sell Konate for less, however. They'd rather have their player for another year and then sign the Palace captain for free next summer.

£20m for Guehi and then selling Konate for the same fee, though? We think they'd be on board with that - it guarantees a replacement for Konate while eliminating any chance of Guehi's head getting turned by someone else over the next season.

No one wants to go through the same kind of protracted contract saga as last season, after all. Sorting it now at no real cost would suit people.

But only if Palace would agree to £20m. Thus far, reports claim they want at least £35m but chairman Steve Parish has made it very clear that they need to get some sort of fee for Guehi.

The pressure will rise late in the window, then. Liverpool, as the favourites to sign the player and Guehi's preferred destination, have a degree of control as a result.

And getting that figure down to £20m might be possible. Might. It's certainly the magic number with which everything fits together and everyone just about gets what they want.

**🔴 **Shop the LFC 2025/26 adidas home range 🔴

**💣 **EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool's immediate reaction to real Giovanni Leoni price-tag 💣

**🚨 **Fabrizio Romano gives Liverpool 'guarantee' over Alexander Isak 🚨