Bayer Leverkusen are pushing to sign the centre back Jarell Quansah as Liverpool show interest in Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi.
The German club’s pursuit of Quansah, 22, is separate to the potential £116million British-record deal they have struck to sell Florian Wirtz to Liverpool. Wirtz flew to England on Thursday and will aim to complete a medical on Friday to finalise his transfer.
Dialogue over Quansah is continuing between the two clubs and while Liverpool are not pushing the England Under-21 defender to the exit door, they are naturally considering alternatives, of which Guéhi would be one.
Quansah remains well-regarded at Liverpool and signed a new deal last season. However, a lack of first-team minutes — he was afforded only 488 in the Premier League — means he has been considering his future.
Leverkusen are guaranteed £100million from the sale of attacking midfielder Wirtz, with a further £16million linked to add-ons, and view Quansah as someone who could improve new head coach Erik ten Hag’s squad.
It would take a sizable fee, perhaps £35-40million inclusive of add-ons, for Liverpool to consider selling the centre back, who is at the European Under-21 Championship with England.
Leverkusen, who have also sold Jeremie Frimpong to Liverpool for £29.5million, would look to sign him for less.
Liverpool’s centre back options feel like something of a state of flux, notwithstanding club captain Virgil van Dijk signing a new two-year contract.
Ibrahima Konaté is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract and talks are yet to bring a breakthrough on an extension. There were reports in Spain last weekend that Real Madrid were interested in signing the 26-year-old France international on a free transfer next summer.
In addition, Joe Gomez did not play as much as he wanted to last season, partly because of injury. Nat Phillips is wanted by West Bromwich Albion, who have made club-to-club contact, and Wrexham. Phillips, 28, ended last season on loan at Derby County.
As a result, Liverpool’s hierarchy will have been considering what options could be available to strengthen at centre back if required.
In one sense, the England international Guéhi is something of an outlier as he turns 25 next month and so is of a different age profile to the centre backs Liverpool have been looking at.
Last summer, they targeted Leny Yoro but could not guarantee him games so the defender, now 19, moved from Lille to Manchester United for £52million.
Similarly, Dean Huijsen, who turned 20 in April, was wanted by Liverpool but he opted to move from Bournemouth to Real Madrid after the Spaniards triggered a £50million release clause.
Liverpool have continued to look at younger centre halves, with Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, 19, someone who has been followed extensively. A younger age profile would appear to be the priority, but Liverpool will remain alert to opportunities that they think represent value.
Guéhi has one more year to run on his deal at Palace. The asking price set by their co-owner and chairman, Steve Parish, would also have a significant bearing on any potential deal.
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That, together with the circumstances around Quansah, will determine whether any interest develops now, or Liverpool continue to monitor Guéhi’s situation, given he would be available on a free transfer in 12 months.
The uncertainty over Guéhi and the loss of Trevoh Chalobah, who returned to parent club Chelsea midway through the season, has resulted in Palace opening talks with Sporting Lisbon over a potential move for the Ivory Coast international Ousmane Diomande.
The 21-year-old is valued at about £40million, which would represent a club-record deal for Palace, outstripping the £32million paid to Liverpool for Christian Benteke in 2016.
