Marc Guehi to Liverpool transfer takes next step as Crystal Palace reach total agreement

Crystal Palace have reached an agreement to land Ousmane Diomande from Sporting Lisbon with the defender acting as a replacement for the Liverpool-bound Marc Guehi.

The Eagles look set to lose their talisman in defence but have acted by raiding the Portuguese champions. They have been keen to retain Viktor Gyokeres this summer and have dug their heels in, but the exit of Diomande has proved easier to negotiate.

Sporting did have a release clause in Diomande's contract, which could've seen them demand €80million (£68m), but A Bola reports they were willing to accept less and the FA Cup winners look to have landed the Ivorian for €55m (£47m). One issue they are still to settle on is a future sale percentage.

Palace stand to make a huge profit on Guehi, who they refused to sell to Newcastle last summer, but with his contract winding down they have shown a willingness to cash in and the Reds have acted to bring in the England international.

The London outfit hope that the capture of Diomande will serve them well on their European journey. Palace are still waiting for a final call from UEFA, which centres around Lyon and what competition they will play in after the two clubs had shared the same owner until John Textor sold his stake last week.

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Liverpool's capture of Guehi would take their spend close to the £250m mark after they also signed Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. Arne Slot is looking to bolster his options at the heart of defence, which could soon be depleted.

Virgil van Dijk, the team's linchpin, opted to sign a new deal and remain at Anfield but young hope Jarell Quansah is poised to join Bayer Leverkusen. Ibrahima Konate, meanwhile, has just one year left on his Reds deal and is giving off vibes that he may look for a move elsewhere as PSG and Real Madrid circle.

The latest reports suggest he is unhappy with what has so far been offered to him, and right now it seems more likely than not that the two parties will go their separate ways next summer.

Guehi can now say he is an FA Cup winning captain and regular starter for England, which ticks the homegrown box. He will be 25 in two weeks' time, entering the prime of his career, and is ready for the next challenge in his career with Anfield poised to be his next home.

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