Phil Foden thinks Liverpool could be signing a 'dressing room leader' after £35m transfer

Marc Guehi could be targeted by Liverpool

Liverpool are expected to ramp up their summer interest in Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, who was dubbed a leader by Three Lions team-mate Phil Foden.

The Reds may be in the market for a centre-half on the back of Jarell Quansah's impending exit.

Arne Slot's backline received a boost in April when captain Virgil van Dijk put pen to paper on a new two-year deal at Anfield.

However, it looks as though their centre-back ranks will be diminished by the departure of childhood Red Quansah.

The 22-year-old looks set to seal a £35million move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Aside from the club's skipper, only Ibrahima Konate and the versatile Joe Gomez would remain as senior options at centre-half.

Attention may then turn to the transfer market, and the ECHO understands that Guehi has emerged as a target and could be on his way to Merseyside if a relatively cut-price agreement can be reached.

The 24-year-old enforcer has previously been lauded by international team-mate and Manchester City ace Foden as a key figure in the dressing room.

As reported by the ECHO on Friday morning, the Reds are prioritising a young centre-back to replace Quansah. Guehi, who has one year left on his deal in south London, is a player who could be pursued.

While a prospective fee is unknown, the Eagles turned down an all-encompassing £70m offer from Tottenham in January.

Should Guehi make the switch to Anfield, the club would be getting a defensive leader. That is according to Foden, who, during the centre-half's stellar Euro 2024 campaign, sung his praises.

Foden

"He has been a leader,"

"I know him well from obviously playing with him and he's not fazed by anything. I feel like he has come into the team and shown his qualities."

Foden isn't the only one who has hailed Guehi's capabilities. Former Reds striker Michael Owen was asked after England's Euro 2024 run what his thoughts were on the 24-year-old, and he too was complimentary.

Owen

"He's proven in this tournament that he's very good. Left-sided centre-halves are like gold dust these days, people want them,"

"He's proven he can play at a really high level, so I've no doubt he would be capable of playing for a club like Liverpool."

Guehi has been a stalwart at Selhurst Park since arriving from Chelsea in 2021 and was pivotal in his side's momentous FA Cup final win against Foden's City in May.

Guehi was asked about his future, and while he stayed respectfully coy, he didn't completely rule out a move to a bigger Premier League power.

"I think the most important thing is just always doing the best that I can for this football club,"

"I come in every day and I try to be the same. I try to work hard. And you know, this football club has given me a lot.

"I'm still under contract at this football club, so my focus is always at this football club.

“So, you know, for me, the most important is just doing the best I can and seeing where the future holds."