Liverpool boss Arne Slot is already planning for his second season in charge at Anfield.
With the Reds cruising to the Premier League title, on the back of superb first campaign for the Dutchman, Slot is now looking to bolster his squad for the 2025/26 campaign.
Slot will be given a transfer budget to work with by the club’s hierarchy but his decisions will also be impacted by finances raised from squad exits.
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Doubts remain high over the continuations of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, who are all out of contract in June.
The trio have been offered extensions packages by the club but no firm updates have been offered at this point.
Alongside the potential removal of some hefty salary packages, Slot is also looking to bring in transfer fees for exiting stars, with Darwin Nunez and Caoimhin Kelleher both tipped to leave.
The focus will remain on retaining Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Salah but Slot is pragmatic over the likelihood that all three will stay.
Club captain Van Dijk was previously viewed as the most likely to extend his link on Merseyside but the veteran center-back has rejected claims of a deal being agreed.
With all options available, Slot is looking within the Premier League for a player to replace [or potentially partner] Van Dijk next season with Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi now a realistic target.
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Marc Guehi Crystal Palace contract, transfer value, key stats
Newcastle United made multiple offers to sign Guehi last summer, on the back of his key role in England’s run to the UEFA Euro 2024 final, but the Magpies were unable to prise him away from Selhurst Park.
Former club Chelsea also expressed an interest but it is unclear if the 24-year-old is keen on a return to Stamford Bridge in 2025.
Reports from the Daily Mirror indicate Liverpool are ahead of both clubs in the race for Guehi with Slot able to offer a confirmed spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League.
With Newcastle failing to land a deal in the region of £70m [$90m] less than 12 months’ ago, Guehi’s value has dropped significantly, with his own contract expiring in 2026.
Palace know the coming months are their best opportunity to secure a fee for their defensive leader and Liverpool could open with a £45m [$58.2m] transfer offer.
That will be considered by Oliver Glasner, despite his desire to keep Guehi, but the club are aware a contract extension is unlikely at this stage.
Whilst ‘replacing Van Dijk’ is a tall order for any defender, Guehi’s Palace numbers are very strong, in both the defensive and progressive sides to his game.
Guehi is currently joint-fourth in the Premier League for defensive blocks made by central defenders this season [50] with the third highest take-on percentage in the position [78.6%].
