Liverpool are ‘prepared to bid up to £65m’ for a top Premier League defender who could be an alternative to Virgil van Dijk, according to reports.
Van Dijk, 33, is in the final year of his contract at Liverpool, which will expire in June.
But he is not the only Reds star who could leave for free, as Trent-Alexander Arnold and Mohamed Salah could also see their current deals expire at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Alexander-Arnold, 26, has been tight-lipped on his situation as links with Real Madrid continue to be discussed.
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Salah, 32, has been relatively open about the predicament he finds himself in and admitted that he is still no closer to agreeing on a new deal when speaking after Liverpool’s 5-0 win against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Van Dijk has been also fairly vocal about his desire to remain at the club and even expressed his “love” for the club in an interview with The Times’ Paul Joyce.
"I love the club, the club loves me,” said Van Dijk.
“I love the fans, the fans love me, and it is a very good foundation to be successful.
"In my opinion, I can play for another three, four years, at least at the highest level. We will see what the future brings."
Despite the positive noises coming from the Dutch centre-back, he is yet to sign a new deal and, like Salah and Alexander-Arnold, will be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club when the transfer window opens on January 1, 2025.
So, if Van Dijk does leave the club, who could replace him?
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Merseyside club are “prepared to make a significant £65m bid” for Crystal Palace and England central defender Marc Guehi.
Guehi, 24, has played 18 Premier League games for Oliver Glasner’s side this term.
However, in the summer of 2024, he was the subject of three bids from Newcastle United, with the final offer reported to be around £55m upfront plus the “possibility” of £5m in add-ons, according to BBC Sport.
The BBC’s report also suggests that Palace valued the defender at £70m, meaning Liverpool's '£65m offer’ may not meet the Eagles’ demands.
A previous report from Fichajes in early December also suggested that Manchester United had Guehi on their “radar” as a possible defensive reinforcement in the “next transfer window”.
The England international’s current contract at the London-based side is set to run until June 2026.
It is unclear if Liverpool or Man United will submit a formal bid for the player or whether Palace would be willing to sell in the winter window.
Topics: Liverpool, Transfer News, Premier League, Virgil Van Dijk, Marc Guehi, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United
Luke Davies