Diomande and an Ajax gem – The Marc Guehi alternatives Liverpool must consider
Liverpool had looked to be set to sign Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi this summer.
Jarell Quansah’s £34million move to Bayer Leverkusen had left an obvious gap in Arne Slot’s backline, with Guehi viewed as the perfect man to fill it.
Guehi has just one year remaining on his deal at Palace, who would reportedly accept a fee around the £50m mark. But talks appear to have stalled, with little progress reported in recent weeks.
Here, Liverpool News looks at three alternative options the Reds could turn to this summer.
Leipzig’s Lukeba a good Guehi alternative
RB Leipzig are no strangers to developing a talented French centre-back, having acted as the penultimate step for both Dayot Upamecano and Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate. Castello Lukeba is no different.
Rugged and determined, the 22-year-old has stood out among the Bundesliga’s finest defenders over the last couple of seasons and could now be ready for his next step.
Standing at just over 6ft tall, Lukeba is fantastic in the air, and monstrously strong.
He can often be seen lunging in to make last-ditch sliding challenges, or using his long legs to block shots.
With huge technical ability too, Lukeba is confident on the ball and would thrive under Slot’s system of defensive build-up.
Liverpool may again be faced with a significant price tag, but the investment could leave them with a top-level centre-back for years to come.
Ajax ace Hato could shine at Liverpool
Jorrel Hato is among the most exciting young defenders in Europe.
The youngster stunned when he broke into Ajax’s first team at just 17 years old, and in the two years since, Hato has made 111 appearances and become, arguably, the Dutch giant’s most important player.
Featuring predominantly as a left-back last season but a natural centre-back, the 19-year-old has every tool at his disposal to develop into a world-class defender.
| Jorrel Hato | In all competitons (2024/25) |
| Appearances | 50 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 6 |
Brilliant on the ball in the way that most Ajax defenders are, Hato also possesses superb defensive awareness and strong tackling.
His signature could be attained for a figure on the lower side, with Arsenal’s £38m move for the similarly journeyed Jurrien Timber perhaps setting a precedent.
Diomande deal would also make sense for Liverpool
Crystal Palace had looked to be lining up a move for Ousmane Diomande, had Guehi’s move to Liverpool gone through.
But the Reds could cut out the middle man and go straight for Diomande themselves, with the 21-year-old reportedly available from Sporting CP for around £45m.
The Ivorian has established himself among Europe’s best young defenders over the last two seasons, as Sporting soared to back-to-back league titles.
A powerhouse defender, Diomande is extremely quick and extremely strong in the tackle, with the timing to jump in and jab the ball away at the right moment.
Whilst the defender would may need polishing in preparation for the Premier League, a developmental role behind the experienced Konate and Virgil van Dijk could produce a monstrous defensive force.
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