Real Madrid are now focusing their attention on signing Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi over Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, according to reports.
Liverpool missed out on signing Guehi on the final day of the summer transfer window with Crystal Palace pulling out of the deal as the England international was undergoing his medical.
The Reds will be cursing their luck that they didn’t get a deal for Guehi over the line after new centre-back Giovanni Leoni picked up a serious injury in a League Cup match last month.
Liverpool will be hoping Konate and Virgil van Dijk can stay away from serious injury before January as their senior cover is now limited to Joe Gomez.
The Reds are expected to go back in for Guehi in January or on a free agent at the end of the season as they are still very interested in signing the Crystal Palace centre-back.
However, it will not be plain-sailing for Liverpool as a number of big clubs around Europe are now interested in a free transfer for Guehi.
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Real Madrid were already looking to sign Konate, who is in the final year of his deal at Anfield, but now Spanish website Fichajes insists that Guehi has ‘overtaken’ the Liverpool defender on the La Liga side’s list.
Los Blancos were ‘initially considering other defensive options’ but ‘the fact that Guehi could arrive on a free transfer makes him a more attractive option’
The report adds: ‘His decision will depend on the sporting project presented to him: guaranteed minutes, realistic aspirations, and a solid environment will be key.
‘Madrid needs to strengthen its rearguard if it wants to take firm steps toward new goals. Guéhi fits the bill as a modern, confident, and experienced player.’
Liverpool still ‘optimistic’ over Guehi
But Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke insists that Liverpool are still “optimistic” about getting a deal for Guehi over the line.
O’Rourke said: “Yeah, I’m sure Liverpool will still be pretty optimistic that they can get a deal done for Marc Guehi.
“Due to his contract situation and likely being available on a free, it’s going to bring Europe’s big guns to the table to try and sign him.
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“Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, all keeping tabs on his situation and would love the opportunity to sign a top-class England international on a free transfer.
“Liverpool were obviously on the verge of signing him before the move collapsed, and we know their need for a new centre-back is quite high as well.
“Liverpool are still fully in this race for Guehi, but the player is in the box seat right now and that’s why he’s so relaxed about his situation.
“He will have lots of options to weigh up in January with pre-contract offers.
“It’s an open race for Guehi and it’ll be a pretty intense race as well because you don’t often get those opportunities to sign a top class England international on a free transfer.”
Nothing agreed yet between Liverpool and Guehi – Romano
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Liverpool have not pre-agreed anything with Guehi despite rumours a deal could be a formality.
Romano told his Here We Go podcast: “There are many reports about this [Guehi signing for Liverpool next year], and many people may be wondering if it’s already everything agreed between Marc Guehi and Liverpool, just because he agreed the deal in summer 2025, a few weeks ago.
“But from what I’m hearing, no, it’s not something already decided or pre-agreed between Liverpool and Marc Guehi.
“If they want to sign the player on a free, it is completely different from signing the player by paying a transfer fee to Crystal Palace. You need to renegotiate the terms.
“Of course, Marc Guehi remains very keen on Liverpool, and Liverpool remain very keen on Marc Guehi… But it is not something already pre-agreed, nor is it something signed and nor is this something guaranteed…”
Romano added: “If the question is, will Liverpool be there for 2026 on a free, then the answer is ‘for sure’.
“But if the question is, is something already agreed and done for 2026 at this stage, the answer is ‘not yet’.
“Marc Guehi has many different opportunities to assess, and so we have to follow the situation and see what happens first before we start talking about Liverpool landing him on a free transfer.”
Romano reveals Liverpool will have plenty of competition for Guehi over the next couple of transfer windows, he continued: “It’s going to be a big battle, a big, big battle for Marc Guehi; in fact, I will say a massive one involving several clubs….
“Liverpool will be there in 2026, for sure, but more English clubs are interested in the player. He’s always been on the list of several clubs, including, for example, Newcastle.
“And not only, but from what I’m hearing, also top Italian clubs too. Top Spanish clubs have also started calling to understand the situation of Marc Guehi. Then there’s been some calls from Bayern. They are another club very much in the market for an important centre-back signing in 2026 and Marc Guehi is very much on their list and on the list of all these top clubs interested in an excellent player like him.
“They are impressed by not just his defending but also the leadership of Marc, here. So they are on the same page on this.
“Palace know, though, he will not sign a new contract. And he will 100% become a free agent in 2026, meaning the big battle has started.
“It will take some time before we understand who’s going to win this race. But right now, it is going to be a crazy battle for sure.”
