Bad news: Liverpool's target player is likely to move to another club due to two main reasons.
On 31 Dec 2025 GMT+7, AS, a leading Spanish media outlet, reported the latest update that spells bad news for Liverpool, a top Premier League club, in their bid to sign England international defender Mark Guehi, who is their primary reinforcement target.
Previously, Liverpool missed out on signing Mark Guehi in the summer despite agreeing on a £35 million fee and him passing a medical in London. However, Crystal Palace canceled the deal on transfer deadline day because they couldn't find a replacement in time.
Although Liverpool had an advantage to sign Mark Guehi on a free transfer after his contract with Crystal Palace expires in June, sources now reveal that the situation is changing.
AS reports that Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid has contacted Mark Guehi's representatives and initiated preliminary talks to assess the possibility of signing him on a free transfer next summer.
Mark Guehi's situation has attracted attention from several top clubs because starting 1 January, the 25-year-old defender will have less than six months left on his Crystal Palace contract, allowing clubs outside the Premier League to negotiate pre-contract agreements with him.
This gives Real Madrid an advantage over Liverpool and they appear eager to recruit Mark Guehi as a replacement for David Alaba and Antonio Rüdiger, who are aging and nearing contract expiration at season's end.
Sources say Mark Guehi would seriously consider moving to Real Madrid if they show clear intent and advance negotiations. The appeal of the 'Los Blancos'—a team competing for titles every year—could cause Liverpool to lose this target if they wait to sign him for free after his contract ends instead of acting in the January transfer window.
