Liverpool are in talks with Crystal Palace over the signing of Marc Guehi and believe the player wants to join them.
Sky Sports News understands this has informed their decision to open talks with Palace for the England international.
The Eagles value the player at £40m but Liverpool will not overpay, given he has entered the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.
Liverpool will only seek to agree personal terms with Guehi if a deal can be reached with Palace.
The club’s leadership have a long-standing relationship with Palace chairman Steve Parish and want to conduct their business in the right way.
Parish has said he may have to consider selling Guehi if the defender does not sign a new deal.
The England defender is unlikely to sign a new contract at Palace. He was valued at £70m last summer when Palace turned down a series of bids from Newcastle.
Guehi also has the option of seeing out his contract and leaving on a lucrative free transfer next summer.
A number of big European clubs are believed to be interested in signing Guehi as a free agent at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
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Newcastle are not expected to be in the race for Guehi after agreeing a deal for centre-back Malick Thiaw with AC Milan.
Tottenham, who also had a bid for Guehi rejected in the winter window, are in the market for a defender this summer, but their priority at this stage is bringing in a winger and a No 10.
The Premier League champions are also interested in Parma’s teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni.
Parma could be open to selling the 18-year-old for around £26m (€30m) plus bonuses.
Interest in Leoni is not expected to affect Liverpool’s potential pursuit of Guehi.
Liverpool need more experience at centre-back and Ibrahima Konate is entering the final year of his deal.
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Sky Sports’ Paul Merson on further transfer business for Liverpool:
“If I were Liverpool, I’d be looking more for a centre-back than signing Alexander Isak. Arne Slot has enough options going forward without needing Isak.
“Hugo Ekitike looked very good against Crystal Palace. They desperately need another defender.
“I hear a lot of people saying that if Liverpool get Isak, it’s game over in the Premier League. It’s finished. I don’t see that at all.
“It causes more problems, if anything. Where does Cody Gakpo play? There’s Florian Wirtz, Mo Salah and then Ekitike.
“If Isak arrives, they can’t all play. Slot will have to mix things up and change things constantly to keep everyone happy and that causes problems.”
Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games this season
215 live premier league matches up from 128 this season on Sky Sports
From this season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games this season will be on Sky Sports.
