Liverpool handed fresh Marc Guehi concern after 'contract agreement' and meeting set

Marc Guehi could have been a Liverpool player this season, but it's no secret that the Premier League champions are still keen on bringing him to Anfield. A last-minute change of heart from Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish stopped Guehi from completing a move that was already well underway at the beginning of the month.

Liverpool's need for defensive reinforcements has been highlighted by a suspected ACL injury to Giovanni Leoni, which may even prompt them to speed up their plans to sign Guehi. However, Guehi is content to wait until next summer when he will be a free agent and can choose from a range of clubs.

Despite Liverpool's continued interest, the former Chelsea player would welcome talks with Real Madrid about a move to the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid are looking for a new centre-back next summer and have been linked with some of the Premier League's best, including Guehi, Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate and William Saliba. However, a move for at least one of these players is now off the table, as Saliba has agreed to stay at Arsenal.

While the rumoured five-year deal agreed between player and club is fantastic news for Arsenal, it's quite the opposite for Liverpool. With Saliba now off the table, Real Madrid's interest in Konate is only set to grow, particularly as the Frenchman has yet to agree a new contract.

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With Leoni now sidelined for a considerable time, Arne Slot is already short on central defenders. Losing Konate would leave Liverpool needing two centre-backs next summer.

And with Guehi free to entertain offers from across Europe, there's no certainty that he will still be a sure bet to fill one of those two vacancies.

Another potential scenario is that Real Madrid do chase a deal for Guehi and put their interest in Konate on hold. This could potentially open the door for Liverpool to agree a new contract with the latter, but would see them miss out on their top defender target.

Real Madrid have long been fans of Saliba, but with the France international prepared to commit and spend his prime years at Arsenal, all bets are off next summer.

Of course, significant developments could happen well before then, such as if Liverpool attempt to revive a deal for Guehi in January. But if not, the champions are likely to feel the impact regardless of who Real Madrid decide to pursue out of Guehi and Konate.

And incidentally, Liverpool are set to meet with Guehi once again this weekend, as they travel to Selhurst Park to take on Palace.