Newcastle made Guehi their number one defensive target last summer, but were unable to agree a deal for the England international as the Palace hierarchy rejected a succession of formal offers.
The Magpies’ recruitment team remain determined to strengthen at centre-half this summer, and have continued to monitor Guehi’s situation closely, with the 24-year-old set to enter the final year of his current contract at Selhurst Park at the end of this month. Guehi will not be signing a new deal with Palace.
Newcastle officials had been hoping that his contractual situation would enable them to complete a deal for a lower sum than they were offering last summer, but those ambitions appear to have been blown out of the water by Liverpool’s strengthening interest.
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Arne Slot’s reigning Premier League champions have a gap to fill at centre-half as Jarell Quansah is on the verge of completing a £35m move to German side Bayer Leverkusen.
While Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate were firmly established as Liverpool’s first-choice defensive partnership last season, Slot is keen to sign an experienced performer capable of pushing both players for a starting spot next term.
Guehi has been identified as Liverpool’s leading target, with the Anfield club set to table a formal offer once Quansah’s departure has been confirmed.
Guehi is reportedly keen on a move to Merseyside, with multiple media outlets claiming the defender regards Liverpool as a more appealing option that Newcastle, Chelsea and Tottenham, who are rival suitors for his services.
Missing out on Guehi for the second summer in a row would be a blow for the Magpies, who are set to lose their sporting director, Paul Mitchell, at the end of the month as they also attempt to recruit a successor to outgoing chief executive Darren Eales.
It has been a difficult start to the summer for Newcastle, who have seen leading attacking target, Bryan Mbeumo, hold advanced talks with Manchester United.
The Magpies have been unable to agree a fee with Burnley for long-term goalkeeping target James Trafford, but have held promising discussions with Brighton over a potential move for Joao Pedro.
