Liverpool will not revisit a deal for Crystal Palace centre back Marc Guéhi in January, it has been claimed, despite ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of Real Madrid target Ibrahima Konaté.
The reigning Premier League champions agreed to sign Guéhi for a fee of £35 million ($47.2 million) on Deadline Day and even submitted a deal sheet to the Premier League in the hope of finalising the move. But Palace ultimately revoked their approval and cancelled the move after pressure from manager Oliver Glasner.
Guéhi is in the final year of his contract and is not expected to sign a new deal with Palace, whose decision to block his move to Liverpool is believed to have left him frustrated. Overseas clubs can now approach Guéhi over a free transfer as early as January, with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid touted as suitors.
If Liverpool want to land Guéhi in January, they would have to negotiate a fee with Palace once again. The Times, however, state that has already been ruled out.
Liverpool are said to have no interest in paying a fee for a player who wants to join and is approaching the end of their contract, meaning they will wait until the summer in the hope of landing Guéhi on a free transfer. Other clubs have been linked with Guéhi, but The Telegraph report there is a feeling inside Anfield that the speculation is being used to try and scare Liverpool back into action in January.
The Reds find themselves facing their own uncertain transfer saga as centre back Ibrahima Konaté is also in the final year of his own contract and attempts to tie him down to an extension have so far proven fruitless.
Konaté is a well-known target for Real Madrid and the France international was recently asked whether Kylian Mbappé had been speaking to him about a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.
“He calls me every two hours!” Konaté joked in an interview with Téléfoot, in which he also insisted he does not speak Spanish.
Madrid, like Liverpool with Guéhi, are thought to be keen to wait until next summer to land Konaté on a free transfer, although the Reds are still frustrated by the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold to the 15-time Champions League winners just a few months ago.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Will Not’—Liverpool Settle on Marc Guehi Plan, Ibrahima Konate Speaks on Real Madrid Links.