Liverpool's stance on next transfer as Premier League rivals eye same target

Liverpool are expected to pursue a defender once Hugo Ekitike's £79million transfer from Eintracht Frankfurt has been sealed but their top target also has other suitors

Liverpool are ready to continue their summer spending spree with a swoop for Marc Guehi - if Crystal Palace are willing to play ball and sell their star defender for under £50million.

The Reds will have spent close to £300m once a deal for Hugo Ekitike is signed off later this week. The Frenchman will join Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez through the door at Anfield as the Premier League champions bid to beef up their squad.

Their interest in Guehi has been well documented and Palace's bargaining position is not as strong as it once was with the England star now inside the final year of his contract.

However, rival interest in the centre back's services from Tottenham could pose a problem for Liverpool.

Spurs have cash to spend and, crucially, would also be able to offer Guehi Champions League football this season.

And while Liverpool may be seen as a more attractive option to Guehi given their exploits in the Premier League last term, the Reds are not willing to pay over the odds after splashing some serious cash already this summer.

Mirror Football outlined on Monday that Liverpool will move for Guehi if they feel he is attainable for less than the £50m Palace are likely to demand.

But if Tottenham are willing to meet said price tag then that would likely give them the edge in the race for Guehi's signature.

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This summer may well represent Palace's last chance to sell Guehi if he refuses to sign a contract extension. Alternatively, the player could choose to run his deal down and move on a free transfer next summer.

As well as a central defender, Liverpool are likely to try and sign another attacker if Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz depart before the 1 September transfer deadline.

Nunez is expected to move on and Liverpool are happy to sell following the Uruguay international's poor 2024-25 campaign, particularly now that a deal for Ekitike has been agreed.

It's a different story with Diaz: Liverpool want him to stay but the Colombia star is understood to have told the club he wants to move this summer for a new challenge. Bayern Munich are expected to continue pursuing Diaz after seeing one bid for his services rejected already.