Liverpool transfer news as Marc Guehi deal could face late hurdle amid Milos Kerkez boost

Liverpool will be eyeing up its first trophy of the Arne Slot era later today, but it won’t be long until the Reds boss is planning for next season.

Slot will lead his side at Wembley for the first time as he looks to win the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle. Regardless of what happens in London later, Liverpool should at least end the season with the Premier League title, with its 15-point lead surely too much for Arsenal to overturn now.

Nevertheless, Slot will have work to do on his squad in the summer transfer window, with a number of obvious areas to work on already. The job could become even bigger if Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Mohamed Salah are to move on at the end of their contracts.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today, including the latest on Marc Guehi’s reported move to Anfield.

Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)

Although it has been claimed that Liverpool is poised to win the race for Marc Guehi this summer, the deal could still face some late hurdles with the Reds’ rivals also eyeing up the Crystal Palace star.

According to Mirror Football, Anfield is the England international’s preferred destination, and a deal is expected to be finalized in the summer. Chelsea, though, is still listed as the main competition for his signature, while there could also be last-minute interest from Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham. All four clubs have been keeping tabs on Guehi following his standout season at Palace and his progress with England on the international stage.

Liverpool.com says: Regardless of what happens with Van Dijk this summer, Liverpool needs to sign at least one new central defender. If Joe Gomez is to depart, then ideally, they’d be looking at two.

In an ideal world, Van Dijk signs a new contract, and then the Reds can decide whether they go after a high-profile signing like Guehi, or if they target someone who might save them some money and act as a back-up. Signing the Palace man is almost certainly going to be more complicated than it sounds at the moment.

Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth is open to selling Milos Kerkez this summer if its financial expectations are met, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The Hungarian is described as a “strong option” for Liverpool as the Reds look for a new left-back. Nuno Mendes and Alphonso Davies were also highly thought of before signing new contracts at PSG and Bayern Munich respectively.

That means Kerkez could be the next option, although it is suggested that his price is likely to be above what Liverpool would “normally” pay for a full-back. It’s also suggested that the Reds would need to offload one of Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas first.

Liverpool.com says: Kerkez looks like he would be perfect for Liverpool, and if he’s going to cost a bit more than the Reds would hope, it still feels like a deal they should be going for. If nothing else, you can absolutely guarantee some of Liverpool’s rivals will be eyeing him up as well.